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>>Narrator: It has, literally, been one step at a time, but Mike PrindleÕs progress as
a cancer survivor is nothing short of remarkable. Because of a tumor deep inside his hip, it
looked at one point like Mike would have to be cut in half in order to save his life.
>>Mike Prindle: I was glad for what they did leave me with. I did ask the doctor, if you
could save my right leg, please, please, at all costs, at least save my right leg. And
he said he would. >>Narrator: That doctor was Joel Mayerson of Ohio StateÕs James Cancer
Hospital. He says because of the type and location of MikeÕs tumor, he had no choice
but to remove the lower left part of his body to remove the cancer. But then, he had an
idea. >>Joel Mayerson: We knew we were going to take his lower leg and amputate it. But
the bones and the blood supply to the lower leg were not involved with the tumor.
>>Narrator: What happened next was medical history. With doctor Ehud Mendel, Mayerson
and doctor Michael Miller took the live, healthy bones from MikeÕs amputated leg - and rebuilt
his hip. They placed MikeÕs thigh bone between his spine and the front of his pelvis - then
to stabilize his spine they used a shin bone along with screws and a titanium device made
specifically for mike. By using MikeÕs own bones, there was a hope that everything would
fuse together and the bones grow as if they were meant to be in that position. A hope
that quickly turned to reality. >>Ehud Mendel: HeÕs already fused. We saw it very quickly
after the surgery that he fused, because there was still blood supply going to these bones,
which promoted bone healing very quickly. >>Narrator: That surgery allowed Mike to get
a high tech prosthetic leg with tiny computers that help him learn to walk again. Something
that was only possible, ironically, by taking one of his legs, in the first place.
>>Mike Prindle: IÕve gotten to the point where I can almost walk with no assistance
at all. Which, in my case, is amazing as it is.
Narrator: At Ohio StateÕs James Cancer Hospital, this is Clark Powell reporting.