Boy, eight, has reconstructive surgery to turn his ankle into a KNEE

A eight-year-old boy dreams of becoming a professional basketball player after undergoing life-changing surgery to turn his ankle into a knee.

Aiden Godoy, of Naples, Florida, was born with proximal femoral focal deficiency, which left him with a malformed right leg.

Despite doctors' advice to amputate, the youngster's parents opted for a rotationplasty, which involved turning his lower leg 180 degrees and positioning his foot where his knee used to be.  

Aiden, who underwent the 14-hour surgery at just two years old, now wears a prosthetic and plays on his school's basketball team.

Aiden Godoy underwent a rotationplasty at just two years old after he was born with proximal femoral focal deficiency, which left him with a malformed right leg. The 14-hour surgery involved rotating his lower leg and foot 180 degrees, so his ankle acts as his knee joint

Aiden Godoy underwent a rotationplasty at just two years old after he was born with proximal femoral focal deficiency, which left him with a malformed right leg. The 14-hour surgery involved rotating his lower leg and foot 180 degrees, so his ankle acts as his knee joint

Aiden, who wears a prosthetic, refuses to let his condition hold him back. He dreams of being an NBA basketball player, is on the school team and practices at home every chance he gets 

Aiden, who wears a prosthetic, refuses to let his condition hold him back. He dreams of being an NBA basketball player, is on the school team and practices at home every chance he gets 

His parents Rosi Cires and WIlliam (pictured with Aiden after he was born) first discovered something was wrong around 34-to-35 weeks into the pregnancy. Doctors advised Aiden have his leg amputated but the pair decided rotationplasty was a better option for the youngster 

His parents Rosi Cires and WIlliam (pictured with Aiden after he was born) first discovered something was wrong around 34-to-35 weeks into the pregnancy. Doctors advised Aiden have his leg amputated but the pair decided rotationplasty was a better option for the youngster 

Speaking of his operation, Aiden said: 'My ankle is now my knee. I like my leg because I can be unique.

'When I grow up I want to be a NBA player. Even with my rotationplasty I can run faster than most people. My rotationplasty does not stop me from doing anything.'

Aiden's parents discovered something was wrong around 35 weeks into the pregnancy. 

His mother Rosi Cires, 30, said: 'Congenital femur deficiency is a birth defect and it's when you have a difference in your femurs; it's not genetic.

'They don't have an answer as to why it happens. It just happens to one out of a 100,000 that are born.'

Proximal femoral femur deficiency occurs when the thigh bone closest to the hip is too short or underdeveloped. It typically causes sufferers to have an usually short thigh bone that is pulled up and turned out. The knee can also be unstable. 

Going against doctors' advice, Ms Cires and Aiden's father William decided rotationplasty surgery was the better choice for their son.  

'As a parent you are

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