11-07-2025
Woman reveals what life is really like after having the rarest amputation in the world
After experiencing pain in her leg, Courtney Echerd never would have guessed she'd lose her entire limb after undergoing one of the rarest amputations in the world in order to save her life.
Courtney had been dealing with 18 months of intense pain when she finally received a diagnosis for pelvic osteosarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer. in September last year at age 29.
As per the National Library of Medicine, treatment usually includes chemotherapy and wide surgical resection of the tumor.
But for Courtney, a hemipelvectomy amputation, which is when part of the pelvis and the entire leg is removed, was her best option.
She said: 'When the possibility [of an amputation] was first introduced by a surgeon in Dallas, she made it seem like my life was over.'
The patient admitted that she was worried she would be bedridden for the rest of her life, and was initially resistant to the idea.
Courtney continued: 'I saw it as black and white, I either go back to the life I was living with both legs or... I wouldn't even let my imagination go there.
'I threw up, asked two of my best friends to come over with their kids and dogs, and just kind of went in and out of sleep.'
Courtney eventually underwent the surgery and has since shared parts of her recovery journey on TikTok, which have gone viral on the platform.
She said: '[Hemipelvectomys] account for less than 0.05 percent of all lower limb amputations.
'I will one day be independent.
'I know [three to four] women who have had the same or similar surgery that live totally independently. They have children, they are superstars and I will one day be there - it just all depends on my pain.'
Courtney, who works in media and has been Los Angeles based for the past seven years, can thankfully still work, and says that getting back to LA is a big motivator for recovering.
She added she is no longer receiving treatment for bone cancer, but still experiences some of the chemotherapy side effects - despite not having received treatment for six months.
In a video posted in October last year, Courtney detailed why she hasn't received a prosthetic leg yet - explaining that she has no hip joint for the fake limb to attach to.
She said: 'The more joints you have the easier it is for you to use a prosthetic.
'Most people that have this amputation don't even use a prosthetic.'
The freelance journalist said that with more common amputations, the fake limbs which are inserted at a joint allow the user to move around in a similar way to how they did before.
However, she would have to learn to maneuver herself differently, explaining 'it will take using my hip force to swing that leg around, take a step, and swing again to walk.'
Courtney said this was due to a number of reasons, including that 'they're very expensive,' 'very complicated,' and they 'use a ton of energy.'
Courtney added: 'They're also really hot and heavy.'
Unlike other fake limbs, the type that Courtney will need to use is a leg which is joined by her wearing a form of plastic shorts, with a prosthetic attached to one side.
She said: 'It will wrap around my waist and then connect from the very, very, very small amount of leg that I have left.'
According to Medical Center Orthotics and Prosthetics, a hemipelvectomy is one of the rarest types of lower-extremity, above-knee amputations.
The sire reads: 'Hemipelvectomy surgery procedures involve a removal or re-sectioning of some part of the patient's pelvis (sometimes as much as half of it).
'This procedure is typically carried out for the treatment or elimination of the most dangerous conditions and diseases, the most prominent being localized tumors or cancers that have spread to the pelvis and have not been responsive to other forms of treatment such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy.'
Courtney now lives with her parents as she continues to recover from her surgery and adjust to her new way of life.
She said since having her leg removed, she has connected with other people who have dealt with the same amputation which has made her more optimistic about the future.
Courtney added: 'They have been a great source of hope, especially in the early days when I didn't know how I would ever cook dinner or travel or feel like myself again.
'There's a Facebook group of about 200 of us worldwide and it's so nice to pop in to ask questions like "What does everyone do in terms of luggage at the airport?" or "Who is the best prosthetist in America?"'
She added these questions can't just be searched online because information is so limited.
Courtney continued: 'We really only have each other.
'They are the people who have made me believe that I can be a parent and world traveler and live a happy life.'
