Breakthroughs in cancer treatment spare Long Island teen from leg amputation
Doctors at Cohen Children's Medical Center say a state-of-the-art surgery for osteosarcoma means the Long Island college student's leg will not have to be amputated.
A devastating diagnosis
Kelly Mullooly, a University of New Haven honors college freshman and student-athlete, presumed her constant knee pain was from too many gym workouts and rigorous cheer team activities.
After the Massapequa-native started feeling it in December, doctors initially advised physical therapy. But nothing helped and she knew something wasn't right.
"It was a very overwhelming time and a very scary time," she said.
While home for spring break, Mullooly and her family insisted on more medical testing. They sought doctors at a different hospital -- Cohen Children's Medical Center.
She went there for an MRI and doctors came back with devastating news.
"That same day they found the tumor, and from there everything has just been a complete whirlwind," Mullooly said. "So fast-moving, with biopsies and doctors appointments, and within that week I was diagnosed with osteosarcoma."
"Because this is a very aggressive tumor, we have to move very quickly with chemotherapy and treatment," Dr. Carolyn Fein Levy, of Cohen Children's Medical Center, said.
Life-altering decisions and surgery
Crissy Mullooly said she was in awe of her daughter, who remained brave and stoic while having to make life-altering decisions.
"It's amazing because it's a lot to ask an 18-year-old at the time, now she's 19, to have gone through," she said.
As part of the treatment, Mullooly underwent future fertility planning in which her eggs were harvested prior to chemotherapy.
"They immediately had a plan for me and that was very comforting," she said.
"She had what is called limb-sparing surgery where we take out a piece of the bone and replace with a prostheses in order to save her leg," Levy said.
Mullooly's cancerous bone was removed and replaced with a metal knee. The surgery also saved her life.
"We want her to be able to live the rest of her life without a sarcoma, without any cancer and to be able to do everything she wants to do," Dr. Howard Goodman said.
"Not that everything will go back to normal, but everything will be a new normal," Mullooly said.
As she completes chemotherapy, she's filled with optimism and ready to rejoin UNH and the cheer team later next year.
Before limb-sparing surgery, a patient with osteosarcoma would have needed their leg amputated. They also would have continued living with the risk of the cancer returning.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Man dies after being pulled into MRI machine by metal necklace he was wearing
A man has died after getting sucked into an MRI machine. The accident occurred on July 16 at the Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, New York, according to a press release from the Nassau County Police Department in Long Island. Officers responded to a 911 call at around 4:30 p.m. at the MRI center, which provides diagnostic radiology services. Are Full-body Scans Worth The Money? Doctors Share What You Should Know "Upon arrival, officers were informed that a male, 61, entered an unauthorized Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) room while the scan was in progress," the release stated. "The male victim was wearing a large metallic chain around his neck, causing him to be drawn into the machine, which resulted in a medical episode." Read On The Fox News App The man was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries the next day, on July 17. The investigation is ongoing, according to the police department. Nassau Open MRI states on its website that anything metallic should be removed prior to an MRI, including hearing aids, partial plates, dentures, jewelry and hair pins. Cancer Screenings: Here Are 5 Types And Critical Information To Know About Each On a web page detailing the benefits and risks of MRIs, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notes that "the strong, static magnetic field will attract magnetic objects (from small items such as keys and cell phones, to large, heavy items such as oxygen tanks and floor buffers) and may cause damage to the scanner or injury to the patient or medical professionals if those objects become projectiles." "Careful screening of people and objects entering the MR environment is critical to ensure nothing enters the magnet area that may become a projectile." For patients with magnetic implants, external devices and accessory medical devices, there is the risk that the MRI will "pull on magnetic materials" and cause "unwanted movement" of the device, the same source cautions. The FDA also notes that "adverse events" related to MRI scans are "very rare." Out of millions of MRI scans in the U.S. each year, the agency receives around 300 reports of adverse events — primarily burns and other thermal injuries. 5 Cancer Types Where Screenings Save The Most Lives "Other reported problems include injuries from projectile events (objects being drawn toward the MRI scanner), crushed and pinched fingers from the patient table, patient falls, and hearing loss or a ringing in the ear (tinnitus)," the FDA states. The MRI is a machine that uses a large magnet to produce "very intricate pictures" of the human body, according to Kenneth J. Perry, M.D., an emergency medicine attending physician in Charleston, South Carolina. This can be very helpful in capturing images of specific parts of the body, he said, such as the spinal cord, brain or pregnant abdomen. "Unlike other imaging modalities, such as X-ray or CT scan, it does not use radiation, which means it is safe for children as well as pregnant women," Perry told Fox News Digital. The only major issue with an MRI machine, the doctor cautioned, is that the magnetic function is never off. "This means that when approaching an MRI machine, it is impossible to be near it with anything magnetic without having that piece of clothing or device get pulled into the device," Perry said. "This is different from a CT scanner, which is only causing radiation at the time that it is on obtaining imaging." The best way to prevent these types of accidents is to have a "robust MRI protocol" in place, Perry advised. "Most hospitals will have different zones built into the MRI process. Within each zone, there is a discussion about which devices or pieces of clothing are safe for the MRI," the doctor noted. In the actual machine area, there should be no magnetic material on the patients. "Adhering to these very important protocols will be very helpful in preventing major issues," Perry said. It is best to discuss with the care team in advance about any potential concerns related to MRI safety, such as implanted devices, the doctor said. For more Health articles, visit "In the end, MRI is a very safe imaging modality that can give very helpful and important information to physicians to help take better care of patients," Perry added. Fox News Digital reached out to Nassau Open MRI requesting article source: Man dies after being pulled into MRI machine by metal necklace he was wearing Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Tomatoes Can Sunburn—Here's What You Need To Know To Prevent Sunscald
Key Takeaways Provide shade during peak sun. Don't over-prune; let leaves provide coverage. Plant tomatoes early enough so they mature before extreme summer love and need a lot of sunlight and heat to grow. But too much of a good thing can cause the plant to get sunscald–the plant equivalent of a sunburn. 'Sunscald in tomatoes can happen in all parts of the country, but it is more prominent in the South where the days are longer and the weather is hotter,' says Greg Key, gardener and president of Hoss Tools in Georgia. What is Sunscald? Tomatoes need plenty of sunlight to produce fruit, typically around six to eight hours a day. Too much sun and heat can cause tomatoes to get sunscald. 'Sunscald happens when the tomatoes are hit with the direct waves of the sun without any protection, similar to sunburn on us humans,' says Key. According to Jennifer McDonald, certified organic garden specialist and co-founder of Garden Girls, a garden design company based in Houston, Texas, she says sunscald occurs with 'extreme heat coupled with direct sunlight.' If you're experiencing a heat wave or increased temperatures, there's usually no need to worry. 'A few days of higher-than-normal temperatures usually don't cause sunscald,' says McDonald. What Sunscald Looks Like Sunscald can affect the leaves as well as the fruit. 'Leaves with white or brown spots, and tomatoes with cracks or patches of blotchy white, yellow, or gray spots are all indications of sunscald,' says McDonald. Fruit that is exposed due to over-pruning can also be more prone to sunscald. 'For example, if you've spent the day pruning your tomato plants and removing diseased foliage, you'll often see tomatoes in bunches that are exposed to direct sunlight,' says McDonald. 'When the leaves are gone, so is the umbrella effect.' So before you go overboard with pruning tomato stems and leaves, think about how the foliage is providing natural shade. Why Planting Tomatoes Early in the South is Important When you plant your tomatoes ensure they grow properly and reach all growth stages. As a guide, you want to plant after the last freeze in spring. 'In the South, we plant our tomatoes right after Valentine's Day to allow them enough time to pollinate, bear fruit, and ripen before the extreme heat takes over in late June,' says McDonald. 'Once the extreme heat is upon us, tomato growth all but stops completely.' She says that's when it's time to harvest or remove the plants. Choose Tomatoes that Thrive in Your Climate The type of tomato plant you grow is important to minimize the chance of sunscald. 'In the South where sunscald is a serious problem, planting the correct type and variety can help with this issue,' says Key. He recommends two tomato plants: 'Red Snapper and Hossinator are two varieties that thrive and have minimal sunscald.' He explains that both are determinate tomatoes that are bred to have little to no pruning, dense foliage, outstanding fruit size and to be very high in yield production. Oftentimes, bigger-sized tomatoes are more susceptible to sunscald. 'Larger beefsteak tomatoes take longer to grow and have more surface area which means a higher chance of direct sunlight exposure and greater risk for sunscald,' says McDonald. If your USDA Zone has very hot summers, you may want to grow smaller-sized tomatoes. 'In zones with exceptionally hot summers, choosing smaller indeterminate cherry tomatoes will result in better outcomes and less sunscald,' says McDonald. How to Prevent Sunscald Sunscald can be prevented. 'Sunscald is a physiological condition, unlike fungal diseases in tomatoes, which are harder to prevent and treat,' says McDonald. Here are two ways to reduce the chances of sunscald. Use a Shade Cloth Although tomatoes love the sun, putting up a shade cloth can help them out significantly during the hottest parts of the day. 'This is a simple but effective way to ensure that fruit-bearing plants receive enough sunlight but are protected from the intensity of direct rays,' says McDonald. 'There are a number of options when choosing shade cloth, with percentages ranging from 30-75% shade coverage. When in a pinch, an umbrella can provide shade to growing plants.' Don't Over-prune Pruning helps promote fruit growth. But overdoing it can cause your tomato plants harm. 'Over the years there's been a growing practice to prune tomatoes heavily to maximize the size of fruit and produce more fruit per plant,' says Key. 'This strategy certainly works, but the downside to the pruning method is you leave the fruit exposed to the sun, and that is when the damage occurs.' According to McDonald, 'Pruning tomato plants can become quite addicting, but it's beneficial to avoid over-pruning during the peak of summer.' She says that even sunburned leaves can provide protection to delicate fruit. Even crispy leaves are fine to leave on a tomato plant if fungal diseases aren't present, she adds. Can You Eat Them? Typically, you can eat a sunscalded tomato if there isn't any mold. According to McDonald, 'While they may look a little funky, they are still edible, assuming that the white patches have not become black, which could indicate mold.' Sometimes a tomato just has a yellow or white blemish. 'If the sunscald is just a blotchy patch on the tomato that hasn't blistered, it's fine,' she says. 'Cut around it and enjoy the rest of that juicy tomato!' But there are some signs when you shouldn't eat a sunscald tomato. 'If your tomato looks sunken or blistered or has deep cracks that have exposed the flesh, you're better off tossing it,' she says. Read the original article on Southern Living Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
40 minutes ago
- CBS News
New Jersey Wind Phone offers grieving visitors a way to connect with deceased loved ones
A newly dedicated Wind Phone on the grounds of Cornerstone Church in Williamstown, New Jersey, offers a symbolic tether to communicate with deceased loved ones for grieving members of the community. A dedication was held on Wednesday for hospice care provider Angelic Health's Wind Phone – a disconnected rotary phone and a park bench set in nature, where you can sit and share your feelings, process your grief, pick up the phone and make a symbolic call to a lost loved one. The concept of the Wind Phone began in Japan in 2010 when creator Itaru Sasaki purchased an old phone booth and set it up in his garden as a way to grieve and communicate with his cousin, who had died of cancer. Since 2010, other Wind Phone projects have popped up in several countries, including hundreds in the United States. The idea for the newly created Wind Phone was a word-of-mouth project, said Angelic Health's bereavement coordinator, Ken Jackson, who worked with several others, including curator of the New Jersey Wind Phone project, Amy Dawson, to see the project through. "There are lots of strategies to cope with grief," Jackson explained, "some don't want to journal or vent. Sometimes the grief can get stored up." The physical and tactile act of picking up a phone is a great way to "feeling the connection again and processing the loss of your loved one." While on the grounds of Cornerstone Church, the Wind Phone is open to the public. To find out more about the project or to create your own Wind Phone, visit
