Overview

• After weeks of nagging leg aches dismissed as growing pains, Isabelle Vella was diagnosed with osteochondroma in April, a rare pediatric bone tumor affecting around 35 UK children annually.
• She is currently undergoing her second cycle of chemotherapy at Addenbrooke’s Hospital while awaiting an early August decision between amputating her right leg or pursuing multi-stage limb salvage surgery.
• Doctors plan complex procedures that may involve bone grafts or metal implants, a feeding peg and fertility preservation measures such as ovarian tissue freezing.
• With triathlon and contact sports no longer options, family and medical experts express confidence that Isabelle may channel her determination into wheelchair sports, potentially aiming for Paralympic competition.
• The family’s GoFundMe aims to fund specialist therapies, prosthetic limbs and home modifications, and they urge parents to seek prompt assessment for any persistent aches or pains in their children.