Her Rare Blood Vessel Condition Made Her Leg Grow Larger and More Painful — At 12, Katie Chose Amputation So She Could Play Sports Again

For Katie Ladlie, growing up with a rare vascular condition meant living with a physical difference that became increasingly difficult to manage.

She had venous malformations affecting several areas of her body, with the most severe abnormalities concentrated in her left leg.

As blood collected inside the abnormal vessels, the affected leg became enlarged and painful. Over time, the condition also damaged her knee joint.

Katie wanted to enjoy an active childhood, but her worsening symptoms were making even ordinary movement increasingly difficult.

A Condition That Could Not Easily Be Removed

Venous malformations are abnormal formations of veins that can affect the skin, muscles and deeper tissues.

Depending on their location and severity, they may cause swelling, pain, bleeding and problems with movement.

Katie traveled from Missouri to Boston Children’s Hospital during childhood to receive specialized treatment at its Vascular Anomalies Center.

Her doctors attempted to control several smaller lesions, but the abnormalities in her left leg continued to worsen.

Treatment Wasn’t Enough to Save Her Mobility

Katie underwent treatments including sclerotherapy, a procedure that involves injecting medication into abnormal blood vessels.

Although some of her smaller malformations responded, the condition affecting her leg remained severe.

As the abnormal veins continued to cause swelling and pain, Katie eventually reached a point where she could no longer walk.

Her family faced a difficult question about how to improve her long-term mobility and quality of life.

A Life-Changing Decision at Age Twelve

At twelve years old, Katie made the decision to undergo amputation of her affected leg at a hospital closer to home.

She hoped that using a prosthetic leg would allow her to become more active than she could be with the increasingly painful limb.

The decision was not the end of her interest in sports. Instead, it became the beginning of a different athletic journey.

Finding Her Place on the Ice

As she grew older, Katie discovered adaptive sports and became involved in sled hockey, a version of ice hockey played using specialized sleds.

She joined the U.S. women’s sled hockey team.

In 2022, her team won gold at the Women’s Para Ice Hockey Challenge.

The girl who had once struggled to walk because of her painful vascular condition was now competing internationally in a sport she loved.

Helping Others Discover Adaptive Sports

When Boston Children’s published her story in October 2023, Katie was also working at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, helping other people access adaptive sporting opportunities.

She continued seeing specialists at Boston Children’s because of their experience treating complex vascular malformations.

Her experiences had also helped inspire researchers investigating new ways to treat difficult venous malformations.

For Katie, her medical journey was not defined solely by losing a limb. It was also about finding ways to remain active, compete and help others discover what they could achieve.

Source: Boston Children’s Hospital, October 31, 2023 — Gold Particles and Light Could Melt Venous Malformations Away.