Leg story: $20.
That’s the line printed across Gio’s favorite t-shirt. And once? He actually got paid.
“So what happened to your leg?” the kid asked, handing over a 20.
“A shark ate it,” Gio grinned and bolted off.
The bill went straight into his savings jar, which now holds $500 (mostly from chores and allowance, rather than “leg story” payouts). $1,500 more to go until Gio can afford the electric bike he’s had his eye on for over a year. An e-PROSPECT, to be exact.
For Lauren, Gio’s mom, this is a scene that probably felt nearly impossible to imagine 11 years ago, after Gio was diagnosed with Fibular Hemimelia—meaning he’d be born with no fibular bone and a shortened tibia in his left leg. A diagnosis that left doctors wondering if Gio would ever even walk, let alone run.
A Life-Altering Decision at 13 Months Old
When Gio was born, his parents were faced with a devastating decision: undergo 8–10 surgeries over several years that would lengthen his leg but result in a fused ankle with no mobility—or amputate.
“When people heard ‘amputation,’ like even our own family members, they were like, ‘No way. Just no way,’” Lauren remembers.
But even though the word was terrifying, Lauren and her husband were determined to focus on the bigger picture: what would give their son the best chance to thrive?
They went from hospital to hospital and spoke with countless doctors. They even stayed at the Ronald McDonald House and met kids in the process of lengthening, as well as kids with prosthetics.
Then, at 13 months old, they made the hardest decision of their lives: to amputate.
“It sounds so traumatic, and listen, it is. But we had to think about the long run and what’s going to give our kid the best quality of life,” says Lauren. “And pretty much ever since his amputation, he’s been on the run.”
Finding the Right Fit to Keep Up With Gio
Even though Gio was as active as could be—we’re talking about a kid who learned to ride a bike at the age of three—his family still faced years of frustrating trial and error, trying to keep up with the fast-paced lifestyle Gio was so clearly built for.
“With Gio’s first leg, he could barely walk. It was super heavy. It was terrible,” Lauren recalls.
And to top it off? When Lauren submitted his prosthetic for insurance approval, they responded: “We won’t cover the leg, but we’ll cover a wheelchair.”
“I was like, there is no way I’m giving him a wheelchair instead of a leg,” Lauren says. “I guess I’ll just put it on my credit card. I have to do what’s best for my child.”
After switching doctors and trying on more legs that “felt like lifting a boulder,” Lauren reached out for help on a Facebook amputee support group.
“Gio was so active at such a young age, I knew I had to do whatever I could because he obviously wasn’t slowing down.”
A mom from the Facebook group quickly reached out to Lauren and recommended Mike, a prosthetist from Allcare Prosthetics.
“She was like, ‘Listen, Mike is amazing. You should give him a try.’ So we met with him, he told us what he could do, and we’ve never looked back.” That was five years ago; Gio was seven.
The Turning Point
“Well, how does it feel?” Lauren asked as Gio tried on the first leg Mike made for him.
“It feels light,” Gio responded. “It feels good.”
The leg was a donation from an organization called Never Say Never, while Mike donated the construction of the socket—a gesture that marked the beginning of something bigger than just better equipment.
Quickly, Gio’s family realized that Mike’s focus wasn’t just on basic mobility, but rather, making sure Gio’s equipment would never hold him back from participating in any activity or playing any sport—at any level.
“Whenever Gio tries a new sport, Mike’s just like, ‘Give it to me, I’ll figure it out,’” Lauren explains.
“Mike is more like a friend than a doctor,” Gio says.
Mike has made Gio custom gear for football, wrestling, and baseball, to name a few. And Gio doesn’t just wear this equipment, he wears it out. He’s cracked carbon fiber blades, splintered running legs, and torn through dozens of prosthetic socks. Something that Mike—and everyone at Allcare—loves to see: Gio, not just getting by, but thriving.
Looking to the Future
And thrive, Gio does. He has competed in 14 events at the Junior Nationals every year for the past 4 years, including track and field, and his most decorated sport, swimming. But don’t ask him to brag about his stack of medals, because Gio is more interested in what’s next.
Like his new running leg currently in the works.
“It’s bigger and has this huge curve that looks like a ‘C,’ so it’s gonna be stronger and last longer. Unless I get buffed up,” Gio smiles. “I’ve been wanting it probably since I was 9, and I’m 11.”
But the thing he’s looking forward to most this summer?
“Riding bikes with all of my friends,” Gio responds. “Bike for life,” he adds.
It’s no surprise to hear that Gio will be biking to his friend’s baseball game later that day. Which often leads to a game of tackle football or tag afterwards with his friends.
“Gio’s biggest strength is that he doesn’t see himself as different than anyone else,” Lauren says. “And he finds the humor in everything.”
His mom’s words are echoed perfectly when Gio is asked if he has any advice for other kids living with a limb difference. His response?
“They can do anything anyone else can do. If not better.” Gio shrugs like it’s obvious.
Gio may not see himself as different, but it’s that very attitude—reflected in his sharp wit and easy confidence—that makes him the kind of kid you won’t forget.
