Patient Story | Solo

Jul 24, 2026

Patient Story | Solo

Solo's journey began in India, where he waited for a family before being adopted by Curt and Caroline and brought home to the United States. Born with tibial hemimelia, Solo lacked most of the bones below his knees and also has bilateral hand differences. His family found a team at Shriners Children's Lexington that supported them through difficult decisions with expertise, compassion and a focus on Solo's future. In 2022, Solo underwent bilateral through-the-knee amputations with Janet Walker, M.D., and Vincent Prusick, M.D. After healing, he began working with the in-house Pediatric Orthotic and Prosthetic Services team to receive his prosthetic legs. Now 7, Solo is walking and running with his sisters and reaching new milestones with growing confidence. He dreams of building prosthetic legs, working at Shriners Children's and, one day, going to the moon. 📖 Read Solo's story: https://www.shrinerschildrens.org/en/news-and-media/patient-stories/2026/06/solo-tibial-hemimelia-care ▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼ ✨ the most AMAZING care anywhere ✨ Shriners Children's Lexington is changing lives every day by providing innovative pediatric specialty care, conducting research to improve the quality of life and care, and offering outstanding educational programs for medical professionals. We provide patient-centered care in several areas. All care and services are provided regardless of the families' ability to pay or insurance status. Shriners Children's Lexington is part of the greater Shriners Children's network. Shriners Children's is a nonprofit organization and relies on the generosity of donors. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. For more information, including the full range of care available, please visit shrinerschildrens.org. 🔗 Helpful Links🔗 📝 Request an appointment: https://www.shrinerschildrens.org/en/request-an-appointment 🏥 Explore our services: https://www.shrinerschildrens.org/en/locations/lexington/our-care?listPage=1 💝 Make a donation: https://www.shrinerschildrens.org/en/locations/lexington/about-us/ways-to-give 👍 Follow us on social 👍 Facebook: /shrinerslexington Instagram: @shrinerslexington LinkedIn: Shriners Children's Lexington Twitter: @ShrinersLex

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Curt: The story of Solo is a good one. My wife and I, we have four children and we always knew we wanted to adopt.

So, Solo was born with tibial hemilia.

[Curt & Solo; Patient, Shriners Children's Lexington] So, he did have, um, both of his legs when he was born, but he unfortunately had no bones below his knees. And so, when we adopted him, we knew that that some type of surgery or multiple surgeries were going to be in the in the question.

When we finally got Solo, um, on American soil, we went to Baltimore. We consulted with people in Florida and just in various other places and one of the consistent things we heard was you need to go to Shriners.

I think we just made a phone call and eventually came up to Shriners Lexington for the first time, and the word that comes to my mind is connection. There was just a connection. There was a care that they had for not just Solo, but for us as parents. We felt like they were talking to us as parents about where our mindset and where our heart was at just as much as they were caring for Solo and and his needs.

Solo's just been incredibly special part of that journey. Um, and so I mean his smile lights up the room. Um, he's he he's so tenacious. He's a fighter. He loves to try new things. uh when he falls, he always gets back up.

And I think one of the things that we saw though with the care of Shriners and through the prosthesis, is it wasn't just the change of him now having new legs.

This was changing Solomon. There was a transformation of his personality as well, and things began to become accomplishable for him that that he wasn't able to do. All of a sudden, he's now able to run with his sisters down the driveway. He's able to participate when he normally wouldn't.

His confidence was building. And so, it's not just transforming solo.

I mean, it's transforming our family as well.

Solo: I can walk down the stairs without holding the railing.

Curt: That's right. The things I hear him say he wants to do is he wants to build prosthetic legs. He wants to work at University of Kentucky. He wants to come be at Shriners.

And so I want for Solo um to be whoever God created him to be. And I believe that Shriners is giving him the opportunity to do that.

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