Ten-year-old Bridget Saxton of rural Lake Mills, Iowa, was feeling some pains in her legs.

Her mom, Linda just thought it was growing pains. later, while at the doctor for Bridget’s strep throat, Linda mentioned Bridget’s leg pains to the doctor. After taking some X-rays, the doctor immediately sent them to the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. Bridget was diagnosed with Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease, also just referred to as Perthes. Perthes is a loss of blood to the top of the femur, so that the ball of the femur is deformed and no longer fits correctly in the hip socket. Bridget had to get surgery on her sister’s birthday, February 5. during surgery, the doctors built a shelf using bone chips from her pelvis. After the surgery Bridget was put into a cast that went from her waist to her right ankle and left knee, with a bar going from her right knee to her left thigh. She had to remain in this cast for 9 1/2 weeks and, with her mom, try to figure out how to do everyday functions. This audio slideshow is in three parts, and it follows bridget through her journey of battling Perthes. Part II and III will be Online on Monday and Tuesday. Click on the video box to the right to see Part I of the audio slideshow.