Boy, 10, a double-leg amputee, returns to football with prosthetic legs

Published February 05, 2015

A 10-year-old Pennsylvania boy who lost both of his legs to meningitis has not let it get in the way of his love for football.

Deven Jackson, from Shermans Dale, returned to the lineup of the West Perry Mustangs Peewee team for the fall season after receiving a pair of running blade prosthetic legs.

Dave Bickel, a commissioner of the CFA football league where Jackson plays, said officials helped his family outfit Deven’s prosthetic legs with neoprene padding to meet safety requirements, according to The Patriot News.

Deven’s father, David, told ABC’s "Good Morning America" that the first time Devon put on the blades, “he said he loved the way the wind felt in his face.”

Two years ago, doctors gave Deven a 10 percent chance of survival after contracting meningitis. He survived, but infections forced doctors to amputate both of his lower legs.

Deven told ABC that he has been able to jump right back into the game after getting used to the blades.

“The first time we had our scrimmage, coach came over and said, ‘Do you want to get out?’ and I said, ‘No, I want to keep playing,’” he said.

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/boy-10-a-double-leg-amputee-returns-to-football-with-prosthetic-legs