Hull toddler with rare bone condition spent a year with broken leg

Hull toddler with rare bone condition spent a year with broken leg Carson Lees, 2, from Marfleet has Congenital Pseudarthrosis (CPT), a rare skeletal condition causing weak bones prone to fractures A brave toddler spent a year with a broken leg, due to suffering from a rare bone condition. Two-years-old Carson Leeds, from Marfleet, suffers from Congenital Pseudarthrosis (CPT), a condition that causes weakened bones highly susceptible to fractures. Shortly after he was born, Carson developed an unstable "false joint", making it inevitable that a break would eventually occur. Initially, doctors believed Carson had a positional birth defect that could be corrected through movement and physiotherapy. However, in June 2025, parents Carter and Courtney were jolted awake by agonising screams coming from Carson's bedroom. His leg had snapped, and following numerous tests and hospital appointments, he received his CPT diagnosis. Courtney recalled: "He would've been about 14 months old and we woke up and he was absolutely screaming in pain, so we ran into his bedroom. You could clearly see his leg was visibly broken. We rushed him to AandE and they didn't really know how to deal with it. The Dr in AandE said we'll put a cast on it. "We got home and thought everything was fine, it would heal within 6 weeks. The consultant who had been seeing Carson phoned and said they'd heard Carson has been in AandE, and they think it's what they call an impending fracture. It basically confirms that it was CPT." But the operation couldn't go ahead until Carson reached two years old, and he spent the past year in a clamshell cast that required replacing as he grew. The limb reconstruction procedure lasted more than five hours and, even following surgery, there's no certainty Carson's leg will mend properly, reports Hull Live. His mum describes him as a cheerful little boy who finds methods to get about, though he occasionally becomes frustrated that he cannot do what his nursery friends can do. Courtney said: "He had to wait for the surgery when he turned two. He had a broken leg for a year on the day of his surgery. But he is literally not bothered, he finds his little ways to get around, he bum shuffles and walks on his knees. He's really resilient. I think he gets bored and fed up when he sees what other kids do in nursery. "He's had it since he was born and it's all he's ever known. It was a waiting game for a year and he had to get his clamshell updated whenever he grew out of it. Now it's just a waiting game. It may break again, and we could try surgery again, but with that comes more risks. It could pose more risk to the leg. If we don't choose to get the surgery again we are possibly looking at amputation. Fingers crossed it heals." Carson is now on the mend following his operation, enjoying family activities such as bowling, though he remains in a wheelchair while his leg continues to heal. During his stay at Sheffield Children's Hospital, his greatest pleasure was getting a babycino, or "nino", from the hospital café. His mum Courtney recalls the moment his leg broke while he was simply playing in his cot, saying she "knew instantly" that something was seriously wrong. She said: "It was just like you were in a different world, like it wasn't real. You're expecting to wake up and it's a normal day. We woke up to him screaming, and immediately you think 'what's wrong?'. "You could just tell straight away something wasn't right. Usually we'd get him out and give him a cuddle, but he was laid flat in his cot and you could see how much he was in distress. The consultant told us it's an impending break. Some children with the condition are born with it already broken. It affects people differently, sometimes it can be as they start putting weight on it. "They've said it will do that in the future. Even if the bone graft works, he's not going to be able to participate in active sport. It will just break again. It's just so weak. "We're just trying to keep him as busy as possible. He's not allowed to weight bear and we've got to keep him as still as we can. We've bought him all new toys that he can sit and play with, without him having to go to them. We took him bowling for the first time the other day in his wheelchair. He had his little ramp and he really enjoyed that. The hospital is so amazing, just lovely people overall who put you at ease. They try to not let you stress and worry. We wanted to do some fundraising for them." Courtney and Carter are eager to show their gratitude to Sheffield Children's Hospital, where Carson underwent his operation, as well as the charity British Limb Reconstruction Society. The couple will be taking part in a series of fundraising events throughout the summer. Further information is available at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/supporting-carsons-congenital-pseudoarthrosis-journey.