It was two years ago when Jasmine Wigfall-Smith first noticed something wrong with her 13-year-old daughter La’Nayah’s leg. A dynamic and active kid who thrives on the swim team, things didn’t go wrong with her body very often.
“Originally, we thought that she had injured herself at school. She was limping around and in a lot of pain,” says Jasmine. “She wasn't really able to outstretch her leg, so it was bent for the most part. Then her sister hit her leg one day, and she cried really hard.”
La’Nayah’s reaction prompted a visit to the emergency room, where they took an x-ray of her leg at the area where it hurt. That was the moment Jasmine heard the news any parent would fear: your child might have cancer.
“Everything kind of went very fast. It was all in like a one-week span. At first, the doctor said it didn't look right to him, that it might be a tumor, so he wanted to make sure that she got to the right doctor,” says Jasmine. “She went from the emergency room to a specialist, and then from the specialist to biopsy, and that's when we found out that she had osteosarcoma.”
Osteosarcoma is a type of cancer that originates in the bones. It is the most common type of bone cancer and typically affects the long bones, such as those in the arms and legs. While most prevalent in teenagers and young adults, it can occur at any age and grows quickly and aggressively.
Common symptoms reported for osteosarcoma are pain and swelling in the area, places like the knee, shin, or thighs. While the cause of osteosarcoma is not exactly known, it’s believed to be a combination of environmental and genetic factors.
La’Nayah’s family now had to make a decision about treatment, and they were recommended to seek reconstructive care at Columbia.
“After she got the biopsy, it was kind of like two seconds later she was admitted for chemo. Maybe like a week later, we met with the oncologist, and then they let us know what the next steps were,” recalls Jasmine.
While La’Nayah seemed to be relatively unfazed by this diagnosis and treatment process, her mom remembers the anxiety she had to manage every day. “She got through it like a champ,” says Jasmine. “I mean, she’s a kid. Kids don't really think about cancer like adults do. She heard she had cancer, and she was just like, ‘Oh, okay.’ She didn't really know what it meant, so she just kind of pushed through. She took it better than any adult would've ever taken it.”
As a mom, everything was happening so fast that there was not much time for Jasmine to process the whirlwind. “There were a lot of anxious emotions because originally, the doctors didn't know if they could get the whole tumor out, and there were talks of possibly having to amputate her leg,” she says.
That’s where the orthoplastic approach comes in—the goal is to preserve La’Nayah’s leg and its full function. Collaboration between orthopedic and plastic surgeons in the O.R. allows for better aesthetic and functional outcomes and a more immediate individualized approach.
“When I met La’Nayah, the first thing she said to me was that she liked swimming and intended to do it again as quickly as possible following surgery. I knew we had to do everything we could to avoid an amputation,” says plastic surgeon Jarrod Bogue, MD.
“I work closely with Dr. Wakenda Tyler, an orthopedic surgeon and oncologist, and we typically see patients together,” he explains. “Through preoperative discussions, we tailor our surgical plan to each individual patient to provide a comprehensive plan with a focus on lower extremity limb salvage.”
Prior to surgery, La’Nayah went through several rounds of chemotherapy to shrink the tumor and improve the odds of a cure. “She started getting chemo in October and stopped by December. Her hair fell out, she had a decrease in energy, decrease in appetite, a lot of nausea,” recalled Jasmine.
Meanwhile, La’Nayah’s doctors were putting together the final plans for her operation.
“I discussed her case with Dr. Tyler and all of the faculty at our sarcoma tumor board meeting,” says Dr. Bogue. “Dr. Tyler predicted that she could adequately treat La’Nayah’s cancer without amputation, but due to the extent of the required operation, she would need additional plastic surgery.”
La’Nayah’s family agreed. They knew that meant the surgery would take longer and be more complicated, but it was also their best shot at preserving La’Nayah’s leg function and getting her back in the pool. “When I discussed reconstructive surgery with La’Nayah and her mother, they demonstrated a strong will and determination to get through this difficult process,” says Dr. Bogue.
Finally, December 22nd arrived: the day of the operation. After a complex 12-hour surgery, all went as planned, and the bone tumor was successfully removed without leg amputation.
“It was a lot. She was in the ICU for, I want to say, a week, and then she was moved to the next level of ICU…then she went from that floor next to getting chemo again,” says Jasmine, recounting the recovery period that followed. The team at Columbia became a big support network during this difficult time. “Our social workers, nurses, and doctors—we were close, they all kept in touch with us.”
“La’Nayah did very well and showed us her incredible strength and grit through a tough process that involved several rounds of chemotherapy,” shares Dr. Bogue. “She healed well following her surgery, and we are all tremendously proud of her.”
Today, La’Nayah is cancer-free and pain-free. Things are finally calm, which is just how Jasmine prefers it. “It's just physical therapy and every three-month follow-up appointments to make sure that all of her scans look good. They’re keeping track of her heart because chemo diminished a lot of the workings of certain organs,” says Jasmine.
For La’Nayah, it’s just another day, another lap, as she flowed right back into the waves of teen life. “She’s back at school full-time,” says her mom. “She's definitely a warrior.”
Related:
- Orthoplastic Surgery: Function Follows Form
- Fighting For A New Way To Treat Difficult Cancers
- State of the Union: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Today