Born without his right shinbone due to an extremely rare condition, this little boy has taken his first steps with a prosthetic leg — and his journey is inspiring families everywhere.

A Chicago toddler born with a one-in-a-million condition that left him without part of his right leg is now taking his first steps with the help of a prosthetic.

Dakari Miranda, who will turn 2 this fall, began walking less than eight months after undergoing an hours-long operation to remove most of his right leg.

Dakari was born without a tibia, or shinbone, in his right leg, a rare condition known as tibial hemimelia.

His mother, Dawn Miranda, discovered the condition during her 20-week pregnancy, when doctors first discussed the possibility of an amputation.

“Once we found that out, I was distraught,” Miranda told Good Morning America. “That was like the scariest thing I’d ever heard.”

She initially worried about Dakari’s future and whether he would ever be able to run and play with his siblings and friends.

But after researching the condition and joining a Facebook support group, she gradually became more optimistic.

“I just started to realize that Dakari is going to be great,” she said.

His orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Romie Gibly, also reassured her that Dakari could still enjoy an active future, even suggesting he might one day become a field goal kicker for the Chicago Bears.

After Dakari was born, Gibly, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, presented the family with two options.

They could attempt to preserve his foot through multiple reconstructive operations and rehabilitation, or proceed with an amputation and fit him with a prosthetic leg.

The decision became clearer as Dakari struggled to crawl and move because his foot had very little control and was getting in his way.

In December, Gibly performed the operation to remove Dakari’s leg from below the thighbone.

Once his surgical cast was removed, the little boy quickly began crawling and moving around.

“When we went to get the cast off, the kid shot down the hall like a sprinter,” Miranda recalled.

Seeing her son so eager to move brought enormous relief after such a difficult decision.

Over the following months, specialists at Lurie Children’s Hospital designed and fitted Dakari with a prosthetic leg.

“For Dakari, he’s not going to know any different. His first steps are with a prosthesis,” said Breanna Baltrusch, the prosthetist and orthotist who treated him.

She explained that children often adapt very well to prosthetics because they learn to use them from an early age.

Dakari will need adjustments as he grows and may require minor procedures in the future. However, doctors do not expect his amputation to prevent him from enjoying an active life.

“He’s done with the hard work, so he can just move on and learn to walk and make progress,” Gibly said, praising the family’s constant encouragement and support.

His 16-year-old sister, Deavinna Edwards, has already noticed how much easier it is to play with her little brother now that he can move around more comfortably.

She dreams of seeing him achieve anything he wants, whether that means swimming, playing basketball or following in her footsteps by joining a volleyball team.

“I can see he’s really more comfortable and confident now,” she said.

As Dakari continues making progress, Miranda hopes his story will encourage other families raising children with rare conditions and remind them that they are not alone.

“The rareness of your child is one-in-a-million, but it’s not one-in-a-million that you have people on your side,” she said.

“We’re here. We can help you get through it, and it will just be better.”

Source: Goodmorningamerica