Boy's foot now functions as knee after rare medical procedure

10-year-old Chris Formaker of Elk Grove is back to playing basketball after a cancer diagnosis and a  rare medical procedure.

Chris was diagnosed with bone cancer in his leg two years ago when he was eight years old.

"I was sad. A little angry. Disappointed," Chris said.

Because of his love of sports he chose to have an unusual procedure at Lucille Packard Children's Hospital

Stanford which would allow him to be active.

"He knew he was deciding his body for the rest of his life. We encouraged him to take ownership of the decision," said his father Jesse Formaker.

The decision was a procedure called rotationplasty.

Doctors at Stanford Hospital amputated Chris's leg, then attached his ankle joint to where his knee would be. His foot was then fitted into a prosthetic leg.

"It is challenging for the family, the patient and the doctor. And it is not like you will meet another kid with this.

But it is a wonderful option in the specific of a growing child with a malignant bone tumor," said Stanford orthopedic surgeon Dr. Lawrence Rinsky.

"It just looked a little weird. I didn't care how it looked. I just wanted to be active," said Chris.

And within a year Chris was back on the basketball court.

Chris will have to get a new prosthesis every year or so as he grows. Other than that, his future looks pretty bright.

"He's an incredible person I couldn't wish for anything better," said Chris' father.