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Youngster Enjoys His Favorite Sports Spencer Messecar is an energetic, happy, outgoing
11-year-old who loves sports--especially skiing. He's also
enthusiastic about swimming and golf, a sport his father also
loves. In school, one of his favorite subjects is science.
Spencer, or "Spence" as he is known to family and friends, also
was born with congenital limb difference. He is missing his entire
left arm and left shoulder bone and was born with a very short
femur and only one lower leg bone ("either a very large fibula or a
very small tibia," says his mother, Gwen), due to proximal femoral
focal deficiency (PFFD), a condition occurring once in every 50,000
births.
Spencer, a sixth-grader, attends a French immersion school, in
which many regular subjects are taught in French, or introduced in
English, then continued in French, thus giving students an in-depth
command of Canada's second official language. "We felt it would
help Spence later in career and employment opportunities," says
Gwen.
Spencer underwent a Symes amputation on his left foot at the age
of seven months. When he was about two, the surgeon tried an
unsuccessful fusion of the lower bone to the femur. When Spencer
was about four, a successful bone fusion was performed. "It
straightened out a lot of angles," says Gwen. "He's much better
now."
Spencer's Ski Leg
Spencer started downhill skiing at age six. The first year, he
used a conventional prosthesis, but since then every year he has
had a new "ski leg." The leg is the brainchild of an engineering
and prosthetic design team at Bloorview MacMillan Children's
Centre, Toronto, Ontario.
 The prosthesis features a special shock absorber
system just above the ankle joint and an Otto Bock 3R38 modular
single-axis knee joint. The knee is restricted to 35 degrees of
flexion which provides more effective ski control and enables
Spencer to snowplow when needed. A ski boot is aligned and strapped
in position. Spencer's prosthetist is Linh Le, CPO (c).
Spencer's athletic prowess has helped give him a solid, muscular
body, including a strong right arm--a big help in his golf game.
Spencer, who has been playing golf for about four years, enjoys
hitting the links with his dad, Dave.
And what about the future? What would he like to do? Well, at
age 11, he's not really sure, but says, "Something with computers,
I think."
Says his mom, "He has a very positive attitude. He's a great
kid!" 
Table Of Contents - May 2003
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