07/15/2025
"You know that pediatric cancer happens. You know that it happens to hundreds and thousands of kids around the work. But you never think it's going to happen to your kid." -Jim, Will's Dad
Meet Will. At age 7, he was diagnosed with an osteosarcoma after breaking his leg while visiting his grandmother in Pennsylvania. Scans of the injury revealed that Will’s broken leg was likely caused by a tumor.
Hundreds of miles from home and overwhelmed by their son’s crushing cancer diagnosis, Will’s parents were delivered another devastating blow when doctors explained that amputation might be necessary to keep the cancer from spreading. Upon hearing that prognosis, Will’s mom and dad decided to get Will back home to central Ohio where they were told that, just a few miles from their family’s home, a team of pediatric orthopedic surgeons and oncology specialists at Nationwide Children’s Hospital were spearheading the newest treatment approaches for pediatric sarcoma patients.
At Nationwide Children's, Will’s parents desperately hoped to find options that might save their son's life and his leg, too. That hope turned into a reality when they met Dr. Thomas Scharschmidt, Director of Orthopedic Oncology. Dr. Scharschmidt and his team performed a complex limb-salvage surgery allowing Will to keep his leg and still successfully recover from his cancer treatments.
Watch as Will and his family share more about his journey with osteosarcoma and find out where they are today; nearly 8 years after his initial diagnosis.
Learn more about our Orthopedic Oncology Program: https://bit.ly/3ZzAA1C.
