Osteosarcoma Warrior & Recipient of Bone Graft

Life Beyond the Limits

Annabelle Grace, affectionately known as “AG” is a talented athlete, artist, and big sister who embodies the word “resilient” with every step she takes. This Texas-born powerhouse has been conquering stages, fields, and classrooms for as long as she can remember. Not even AG’s greatest competitor, a rare childhood cancer known as Osteosarcoma, could stand a chance against her tenacious spirit. In 2019 at the age of nine, AG began experiencing severe muscle pain in her left arm and shoulder. Naturally, she and her family thought this pain was a byproduct of her very active lifestyle. However, as months passed and the pain progressed, AG’s parents began to realize that something wasn’t right. After getting many x-rays, tests, and a biopsy done, their greatest fear was confirmed: AG had cancer. 

Following the diagnosis, AG’s mother, Leslie Bartel, learned everything she could to be the best possible advocate for AG. It was through this process that AG’s parents and medical team decided that limb salvage surgery would be the best course of action for their Osteowarrior. With the love and support of “the dream team”—Bartel’s close friends and family—AG began the chemotherapy process, hoping to shrink the size of her tumor and make her a viable candidate for limb salvage surgery. Her father, Eric Bartel, coined the phrase, “#AGTough” on Facebook. He said, “If we’re going to make it through this, everyone is going to have to be tough. We’ve got to keep her living to keep her fighting!” 

Thankfully, after lots of prayer and many rounds of chemotherapy, AG’s tumor was just small enough for her to qualify for limb salvage surgery. With the help of a donated bone graft, AG was able to overcome the osteosarcoma treatment and recovery process. Refusing to let this obstacle get in the way of doing the things she loves, AG began living a life far beyond her limits. After months of hard work, dedication, and training, AG is now participating in her local cheer team and has won several tennis matches in a non-adaptive league, using only one arm! 

AG, who is now in remission, makes a conscious effort with her family to reflect daily on the beautiful gift this donated bone graft has given her. When asked what they would say to her donor family, AG’s mother shared with tears welling in her eyes: “Thank you doesn’t seem like enough, but thank you. We truly do believe that AG has been given the miracle of life.” 

Cleft palate surgery with dermis skin grafts

Blake Altorfer's Story

During her pregnancy with her second child, Rachel and her husband received the news that baby Blake would be born with a cleft lip and palate. A cleft palate is a condition where the cleft doesn’t fully close prior to birth, and is open on the roof of the mouth. A cleft lip occurs when the lip doesn’t completely form, and leaves an opening in the lip.

Working as a speech therapist with the Autistic community, Rachel was not as familiar with all the current treatment for cleft palates, but with her training, she was aware that if not properly repaired, Blake would have issues with eating and speaking, and could suffer from frequent ear infections.

After meeting with the cleft team at Barrow’s Neurological Institute, a plan was made. Blake’s first surgery was at four months, where his lip was repaired. His second surgery was to place ear tubes to help prevent infection, and repair the palate with a dermis graft from a tissue donor.

Rachel expressed that cleft palate’s often have a third world country image. Many US medical missions are served with the purpose to repair cleft lips and palates in these countries. However, they occur with almost the same frequency in the US, where they are very successfully repaired.

Rachel and her husband were grateful to learn that while Blake did indeed have a cleft lip and palate, it had occurred without being a part of any other syndrome, and he was a healthy baby.

Blake’s repair was a part of a study to evaluate a better outcome for speech, using a z shaped suture line as opposed to the standard straight line. “It’s almost like karma,” Rachel said, “my father passed away many years ago, and was a donor. I remember when our family received a thank you letter from a recipient.”

Just prior to Blake’s surgery, Rachel had professional family photos taken. “I knew I would miss his wide little grin” she said. “Even knowing this was best for him, my heart hurt a little that he would change”.

Indeed, Blake was a beautiful baby, both before and after his surgery, and is lucky to have two brothers to share his healthy life.

Dylan Vitucci (Bone Graft Recipient)

Fearless pediatric recipient beats bone cancer to save arm

In May of 2017, doctors diagnosed Dylan Vitucci with osteosarcoma, the most common type of bone cancer in children and teens. The osteosarcoma was discovered in her right humerus after Dylan suffered a fractured shoulder while playing soccer, just a few weeks before her eighth birthday. Although Dylan noticed some discomfort a couple days prior, it took a soccer ball striking her in that same shoulder to send her to the hospital. The injury quickly became a blessing in disguise for Dylan and her family as her doctors became alarmed when her range of motion didn’t return despite her fracture healing. 

A biopsy was recommended and taken from Dylan’s shoulder in hopes of identifying why her arm had decreased mobility. Doctors were not immediately certain of the specifics concerning her cancer, but they were confident Dylan had a form of sarcoma. But Dylan never seemed worried, according to her father. “I think she knew she was going to beat it,” he said. “I don’t know how, but she had something over her that made her feel completely comfortable.”

A request from her surgeons came to MTF Biologics and they contacted all 30-plus recovery partners across the United States about the urgent need for an upper humerus graft, and her best match came from another pediatric patient that had died. Dylan endured an 11-hour surgery to remove the tumor and undergo shoulder reconstruction using the donated allograft along with other prosthetics. She followed her surgery with nine months of chemotherapy, and even spent her first day of third grade in the hospital receiving treatment. But thanks to tutors and even a video-equipped robot, she never skipped a beat.

This confidence Dylan possessed allowed her to power through some difficult moments. Throughout her recovery she faced a number of complications: a blood clot on the outside of her heart, a collapsed lung and a fungus infection throughout her bloodstream. Yet she and her family continued to live by the motto, “a smile can get you through your toughest day.” And they had. Dylan, who is a triplet with another older sister, frequently exchanged laughter with her three siblings throughout the duration of her recovery. Her sister Sydney would even station herself next to her bed holding hands when that laughter seemed too hard to come by. Before long Dylan was escorted back to school in style with the help of her local fire department, and was warmly welcomed by all her teachers and classmates. 

Dylan is now cancer free and she  is beyond grateful to her donor family’s generous gift of life, and MTF’s role in transplantation. “Thank you to my donor family for their special gift that helped me get better,” she said. “I now have movement in my arm which allows me to do all the activities I could do before I had cancer. I can now play soccer and swim again. It means everything to me that you were so nice to give me the gift of donation.”  Dylan hopes her story reveals to everyone how much you can help and change someone's life through the act of donating organ and tissues.

Recipient of Skin Graft

Back on Both Feet

Ewings Sarcoma, Recipient of Bone Graft

A Fighting Chance

Charlie Watts is a fighter at heart. In his spare time, the middle schooler loves going to karate classes, running about on the soccer field, and spending time with family. “Charlie has always been an active kid,” mom Jessica shared. On an occasion, while playing with his younger brother, Charlie accidentally crashed into a wall, resulting in a bruised shoulder, two broken toes, and unimaginable pain. 

Concerned for their son’s worsening toes, Charlie’s family rushed him to an orthopedic surgeon who assured them that their son would be fine with a corrective boot. Believing Charlie had healed, the family returned to their daily routines, unaware that their lives would soon change forever. 

“Charlie was running at soccer practice when I noticed that he was holding his arm a lot,” Jessica recalled. “He told me his arm would sometimes hurt. I knew something was wrong”. Again, Charlie was taken to a doctor to x-ray his worsening arm. After many stressful screenings and transfers, doctors at St. Jude confirmed the family’s worst fear: Charlie had Ewing’s sarcoma, an aggressive bone cancer. “It was especially traumatic for us because it was our second run-in with cancer,” Jessica explained. “Charlie had an aunt who passed away when we were young. The idea of having to go through that again was terrifying.” 

With a 70% chance of survival, doctors informed the family that Charlie would require chemo and surgery using a donated bone graft to replace parts of the cancerous arm. Though nervous about the donation, the family agreed, knowing it was the best option. “We had to trust at that point,” Jessica shared. 

Now, post-surgery, Charlie enjoys life cancer-free with two healthy arms! Thanks to the gift from his donor, he maintains his fighter spirit as a member of his school’s Varsity soccer team and continues to dream of becoming a pilot. When contemplating their donor family’s sacrifice, Charlie and his family are forever grateful for the immeasurable gift of a second chance. Using the trending hashtag, “#FightCharlieFight,” they aspire to bring awareness to children’s cancer and the importance of tissue and organ donation for individuals everywhere. 

“I can’t thank our donor family enough for what they’ve done,” Jessica stated. “Their sacrifice gave my son a fighting chance. We’re so very grateful.”

Bilateral Patellar Tendon Reconstruction and Tendon Graft Recipient

Donor Gifts Help Naomi Reclaim Her Love for Baseball

Children who are born with Down Syndrome have a much higher chance of experiencing soft tissue injuries in their lifetime. Naomi was one of those kids. Her love of baseball was threatened when she could no longer run without her knee caps displacing. Bound to a wheelchair, she no longer participated in the sport she loved. She needed to replace the ligaments in both knees and using her own tissue was not an option. The generous gifts of two donors have given Naomi a new lease on life. Now instead of watching from the sidelines as others enjoy life, she can jump, run and play.

Limb Salvage Surgery and Bone Graft Recipient

Donated Bone Saved Chase’s Arm and His Active Childhood

Chase was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a bone cancer, one day after his ninth birthday. At the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, NE, Dr. Sean McGarry, orthopedic oncologist, discussed the options available to Chase and his family, including amputation of his arm. His family chose limb salvage using donated bone. Dr. McGarry was able to remove the tumor without damaging the growth plates in Chase's arm, then transplant donated bone and secure it with metal hardware. Immediately following his surgery, Chase could move all 5 fingers. Now he can be found playing videogames, riding his bicycle, and playing catch – all things that are done much better with his own arm rather than a prosthetic.

Recipient of bone graft

A Hopeful Light

Breanna Fisher has always been an energetic light. Bubbly, brave, and outgoing, the middle schooler loves turtles, playing Legos with her friends, bossing around her little brother, and swimming laps in her local pool. “She’s like any other kid,” Dad smiled, “and she’s always kept us on our toes.” However, when a small pain in her leg revealed a bigger problem, Breanna and her family worried their precious light would be dimmed.

“It started innocent enough,” Dad recalled. “Sometimes, Breanna would complain about a pain in her leg but then go right back to running around. We didn’t think it was anything serious.” One day, after complaining of immense pain and being unable to walk, Breanna was brought home, where her parents discovered a large knob on her right leg. Concerned for her health, they immediately took her to the hospital. There, doctors confirmed the family’s worst nightmare: Breanna had Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare type of cancer. Though shocking, it wouldn’t be the family’s first experience with serious illness. “My wife works for a non-profit organization that serves children with cancer,” Dad explained. “We just never thought our daughter would be one of them. We kept thinking, ‘How are we going to get through this?’”

To treat her, doctors put Breanna on chemo and recommended surgery to remove the tumor and surrounding bone. The operation would involve placing bone from a donor in her right leg. “We hadn’t heard of using donated bone before, but we were willing to try anything,” Dad remembered. “Whatever it took to save her life.”

A few months after surgery, Breanna regained mobility and her bright light. Thanks to the gift from her donor, she continues to spend time with family and friends and looks forward to returning to her favorite activities. “There are still some hurdles to climb, but she’s still with us and smiling,” Dad smiled. As registered donors, Breanna’s family does not take her donor’s sacrifice lightly. They continue to donate and share their story to raise awareness for children’s cancer and tissue donation. In gratitude, their family sent a thank you letter to their donor’s family. “Saying ‘thank you’ doesn’t begin to cover it,” Dad shared. “Without that gift, it might have been impossible for her to move her leg again. Now, she has a chance to get back to her old life, and it’s put a light back in her eyes. Thank you for giving us hope.”

Knee surgery, tendon graft recipient

Tendon Graft Recipient

Enjoying a fun day of sledding with her boyfriend, high school Junior Kylee Reese had no idea that the day would end with a serious injury, a future looming with several surgeries, and becoming a tissue recipient. “I was on the back of the sled,” said Kylee “so I really didn’t see what happened. All I know, is we hit a ditch, and when we landed, I landed in the worst way possible. My leg was completely messed up.”

In the small mountain community, the only medical facility was an Urgent Care Center, who realized that Kylee needed much more care than they could provide, so she was driven over two hours to her hometown of St. George, Utah. She was diagnosed with a bimalleolar fracture, a serious fracture of the ankle, where the ligaments are also damaged. In addition, she tore virtually every tendon in her knee, and they were struggling to find adequate blood flow in her leg, resulting in the doctor’s considering amputation. Fortunately that did not become the case. While they were able to complete the surgery on her ankle, the repairs to her knee did not go as well. She had multiple surgeries attempting to repair her knee, and was told that healing would just take time. Meanwhile, Kylee was struggling with frustration and depression. Deep down, she knew her knee wasn’t healing appropriately. After a month of on-line school, she had to return in a wheelchair. Her parents decided to get a second opinion at the University of Utah and were told all the reconstruction on her knee had to be redone, and this time donor tendons would be used.

“Although this was bad news,” said Kylee, “it has been the best thing that’s happened throughout this whole experience. I got my knee reconstructed on December 9, 2021, and have been recovering great since then!” Kylee felt it was important to express her gratitude to her donor family. “This tissue donation has changed my life in so many positive ways, so I want to thank your family. I will forever be grateful for this tissue donor. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart for making this decision to donate at such a difficult time. Your family will remain in my thoughts with appreciation for your generosity and kindness.”

McKenna Powers-An Act of Kindness

An Act of Kindness

McKenna Powers is one kind soul. With a big heart and an even bigger smile, McKenna is quick to share a kind word with those at church, Youth group, and whoever crosses her path. "She's a very sweet, bubbly girl," Erin, McKenna's mom, shared. "More than that, she's very passionate about her faith." 

Though strong in spirit, genetics caused McKenna to have very weak ligaments, which posed a significant threat to her down the line. "She used very to be active," Erin recalled. "She really loved soccer. Then, we noticed that her knee kept getting injured during every game. That's when we knew it was serious." 

After surgery in January 2019, McKenna and her family hoped they had seen the last of her injuries, but things worsened later that year. "It got to the point where my knee was dislocating every day," McKenna added. Following another trip to the hospital, doctors scheduled a second surgery to replace the weakened ligaments using a donor's tendon. "They told me they'd be using tissue from a donor, and I thought: 'ok, cool,'" McKenna laughed. "I didn't see a problem with it." 

Today, McKenna is back to life as a regular teen. Thanks to the gift from her donor, she continues to bring smiles to those in her Youth group, family, and friends. Her experience has inspired Erin and other family members to become donors. "I think it's cool that donation allows you to help someone or even save their life," McKenna explained. "This experience has changed my life in so many ways, and I can't thank my donor family enough for that."