Confidence That Transforms Every Step

Eleven-year-old Paisley has shown strength from the very beginning.

When she was just 9 months old, she was diagnosed with cancer. Her treatment included chemotherapy and ultimately led to the amputation of her right leg. As Paisley continued to meet the same developmental milestones as other children her age, she needed specialized support to find a prosthesis that would allow her to move comfortably through her world.

Her parents initially searched for care close to home in New York, but Paisley had significant difficulty walking with her previous prosthesis. As Paisley continued to struggle with her gait and overall mobility, her mother, Kristin, began researching other options and discovered Shriners Children’s Erie. In 2018, when Paisley was 4 years old, she was referred to Pediatric Orthotic and Prosthetic Services (POPS) at Shriners Children’s Erie, where she began receiving care from Alex Betancourt, MS, MBA, CPO. Since then, Paisley has been a complex patient, requiring ongoing modifications to her prosthesis to support her walking patterns.

Paisley has tried several different ways of securing and wearing her prosthetic leg to find what works best for her lifestyle. She has made great strides in becoming confident in her prosthesis and is living a typical, thriving life. For Kristin, finding the right prosthesis was about much more than fit. After everything Paisley had endured, it was essential that it supported not only her physical development but also her confidence.

Since the beginning of Paisley’s POPS journey, Betancourt has fitted her with six prosthetic legs, each carefully designed to support her activities and goals. As Paisley has grown, so have her interests and her sense of self. She loves playing softball, riding horses, cheerleading, video games and cheering on the Buffalo Bills. But above all else, she loves Taylor Swift and even requested that one of her prosthetic legs feature the Eras Tour design.

Paisley has chosen a different pattern or design for each prosthetic leg she has received, each one significant to a phase in her life. Her appointments have become familiar and fun, and she enjoys picking out new designs that express her interests, making her proud and comfortable to show them off. “Paisley enjoys coming to Shriners Children’s Erie. She enjoys all the help that she gets,” Kristin said. “The team is very accommodating and they go above and beyond to do all they can to provide the best care for Paisley. She is so active and they must make a lot of modifications to her prosthesis.”

For Paisley, her prosthesis has become more than a mobility device, it’s an extension of her identity. She personalizes each leg to reflect her passions, carrying a piece of what she loves with her wherever she goes, whether she’s on the softball field, at cheer practice or simply being an 11-year-old girl. That confidence shapes how she moves through the world. “Feeling confident in a prosthesis helps a child move more naturally, try new activities and stay involved with peers,” Betancourt said.

Inspired by Taylor Swift’s fun, expressive songs – many of which she relates to – Paisley has even begun writing music of her own. “Her music makes me happy and proud to be who I am,” Paisley said. “My favorite album is Reputation.” With every step, Paisley continues to grow into that confidence, embracing who she is and sharing it with the world.