At three-years-old, Ted Johnson finally knows how it feels to walk with feet thanks to the work of prosthetists at The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH).

The courageous Horsham boy was born with a congenital condition known as tibia hemimelia. Prenatal scans did not pick up the rare abnormality and Ted was born without shinbones, knees or ankles.

One year later, Ted’s parents Abbie Clark and Peter Johnson, made the difficult decision to have their son’s legs amputated, with the hopeful prospect that prosthetic legs would give him the best chance at independence.

Last week, Ted was fitted with his first set of fibreglass legs with feet and the new blue prosthetics were an immediate joy to him.  After a quick pause at the mirror to watch himself bounce on the rubber feet, he set off, walking tall and proud on his new legs.

Along with first steps, Ted’s leg’s will bring a multitude of other firsts, like his first shoes.

RCH prosthetist Jim Lavranos praised Ted’s confidence, stating that it usually takes children a lot longer to get used to the prosthetics.

Next year, Ted will take another step forward when he will have legs with knees fitted.

Click here for more photos and the full story on the Herald Sun website.

Donate to The Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal at goodfridayappeal.com.au or phone 9292 1166.