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– I was born with abnormal misalignments in my legs, so my knees moved inward and my feet moved outward, a bit like Charlie Chaplin, so it was quite a special combination, he tells Good Morning Norway.
It was only when Frida Emilie Fossaas (17) grew a little, that she and her family noticed that something was not right. As I got older, the imbalances became more apparent and the pain got worse and worse.
RARE DIAGNOSIS: The 17-year-old was born with an abnormally bad position in his legs. Photo: Good morning Norway
– She was ten or eleven years old when we realized that this was problematic for her. Like a young man who would like to get involved in activities, but became an obstacle. There were many things that stopped, says mother Camilla Fossaas.
Activities such as skiing and cycling were not relevant to the young woman.
– It didn’t work at all. He was in so much pain that he couldn’t walk the next day, he says and explains:
– I was a little worried, because there was a lot of pain. Walking uphill was a challenge. I felt like I was going to fall, because the weight distribution was completely wrong on my legs.
Decided to operate
Doctors eventually discovered that Frida Emilie had the rare diagnosis of Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, which describes conditions in which various bent and stiff joints in different parts of the body are present at birth.
After four years of frequent consultations with Rikshospitalet, Frida Emilie and her parents decided to say yes to the surgery. Over the course of 15 months, the 17-year-old performed four major operations.
– It was too big an operation to take both at the same time, because afterwards I had to sit in a wheelchair. They moved the knees, cut the largest bone in the leg and twisted it, and screws and plates were also inserted.
FOUR OPERATIONS: Frida Emilie had to undergo a total of four operations on her legs. Photo: Private
Frida Emilie remembers the operations as violent. They were mostly successful, but during an operation he had complications and ended up suffering permanent nerve damage.
Mamma Camilla says they were scared, as parents, to say yes to something so complete for so long.
– If it didn’t work out, as a mother I could feel guilty for saying yes to this here. But after four years of very frequent consultations with Rikshospitalet, we decided to do it. There was a risk associated with it, but I am very proud of her and what she has accomplished. I am very glad I did.
Started exercising
After several months in a wheelchair, Frida Emilie had become very thin and weak. She says the family had to force her to train at first. Exercise was something that he really disliked. Then came the turning point.
– I had to train again and I noticed that the more I trained, the less pain I had. And when I started to see results, it got a little more fun. So now it really has become a lifestyle, he says and continues:
– I usually say that training was what saved me, because I was very down after the operations. It has been very tough mentally, but the training has made me much stronger and it is something very special for me. It gives me so much that I don’t even know how to explain it.
GREAT PROGRESS: After the operations, Frida Emilie was very thin. Now he has trained to be strong and healthy. Photo: Private
Currently, Frida Emilie trains to keep her body moving and compete with herself. But he doesn’t hide the fact that one day competing in Fitness would have been fun. However, there is one dream in particular that is higher on the list:
– My dream is to become a surgeon and perhaps perform similar operations on others. I’m also working on an NPT education next door, which I hope to finish soon. Being able to help others in the same way with training and stuff would have been fun.
Quality time in the gym
Mom Camilla and her daughter have always had a good relationship, but after Frida Emilie started training, they had a common hobby. Camilla is grateful for that.
– It’s unique, and I don’t know how much I brag about it. It means a lot to me. To train five or six days a week with her, suddenly the son and my husband also pass by, we are also the whole family, that’s why we are a little known in the gym as the family that we are.
A FUN FAMILY: The Fossaas family spends a lot of time together at the gym in their hometown Fredrikstad. Photo: Private
– Who is the strongest of you?
– I still take it in the upper part of the body, but in the legs I have nothing to ask for. It has no use. She has become so strong on those legs after the operation. The ongoing work she has done has paid off, says the mother.
