Five-year-old Jaeger’s life changed in an instant one sunny June day. An elderly neighbor on a riding mower accidentally backed over his right leg. Jaeger was rushed by ambulance, then helicopter, from a Boston suburb to Boston Children’s Hospital—one of the nation’s few Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Centers.
Doctors saved Jaeger’s life. But what about his leg?
Over the next month, orthopedic specialists performed eight surgeries to clean Jaeger’s wound and save what they could. But his knee growth plate and part of his leg were gone. The family faced an agonizing decision: try to salvage the damaged leg (which would involve 20+ future surgeries); opt for a traditional leg amputation, which offers limited mobility; or choose an innovative surgery called rotationplasty.
In rotationplasty, doctors rotate the lower leg and foot 180 degrees and attach it to the upper thigh, so that the ankle becomes a working knee. A prosthetic is then added as a new, lower leg. It may look unusual, but rotationplasty offers incredible strength, balance, and flexibility—ideal for athletic kids like Jaeger who are constantly in motion.
Boston Children’s Dr. Megan Anderson, a renowned expert at rotationplasty, suggested Jaeger talk with one of her patients who understood exactly what was at stake: Jack.
Meeting Jack (right) helped Jaeger (left) decide to move forward with rotationplasty, an innovative surgery to regain use of his right leg.
Jack’s journey
At age 10, Jack—a sports-loving kid from Montana—learned he had a large tumor just above his knee. It was bone cancer. His family immediately flew to Boston, where they had relatives and knew he’d receive world-class care.
“When your child’s life is on the line, you want the best, smartest, most passionate people on your team,” said Jack’s dad, Cooper. “That’s what you get at Boston Children’s.”
Jack would lose his leg to cancer. Rotationplasty offered him the best chance to stay active, but getting there wasn’t easy. He endured multiple rounds of chemotherapy, a serious infection, and additional surgeries when the cancer returned—twice—as tumors in his lungs. He also spent countless hours in physical therapy learning to use his “new” knee and prosthetic leg.
Through it all, Jack stayed upbeat. His Montana community formed “Jack’s Army,” rallying around his family with fundraisers and support.
Today, at 18, Jack is cancer-free. He’s back to doing everything he loves—hockey, cycling, mountain biking—and is an elite Nordic skier training with the U.S. Paralympic team. He hopes to compete in the 2026 Winter Paralympics with his prosthetic leg, proudly named “Toof” (“foot” spelled backwards).
A meeting that changed everything
When Jaeger met Jack, everything shifted. Jack gave him a big hug, answered every question, and showed him what life with his “bionic leg” could look like. That day, Jaeger chose rotationplasty.
After the surgery, he worked hard in physical therapy, bolstered by FaceTime pep talks from Jack. Eventually, Jaeger was fitted for his prosthesis and began walking again!
The boys and their families have become close. Jaeger and his family even traveled to Montana to see Jack graduate high school. And they’re ready to support Jack when he enrolls at Boston College in fall 2026.
Like Jack, Jaeger is thriving with his new leg. He swims, plays soccer in a league for kids with limb differences, enjoys adaptive skiing, and has started biking again.
His family is grateful—for Jack’s friendship, Dr. Anderson’s guidance, and the exceptional care they received at Boston Children’s.
“Boston Children’s really is the best care in the world,” said Jaeger’s dad, Justin. “We’re excited for Jaeger and Jack. There’s so much possibility ahead for both of them.”
