Monash Health in the Media: Determined mum and surgeon help teen get back on his feet

27 February 2024
Monash Children's Hospital

Teen Nathan Fernandes is back on his feet with a medical mystery solved, after successful surgery at Monash Children’s Hospital.

As reported by the Herald Sun, Nathan collapsed in pain at soccer training in 2022, unable to walk the next day.

Symptoms including pain, tingling and numbness in his legs continued for 18 months, with medical tests unable to explain the cause.

Nathan’s family were persistent to find answers, with his mum, Queenie Fernandes, eventually discovering a medical journal article online that would prove significant.

The article included a case study describing symptoms similar to Nathan’s, where the patient had been helped with surgery to release a compressed nerve.

“I was just a desperate mum trying to find answers for something we couldn’t understand.” said Queenie.

The family would learn Nathan had suffered a compressed tibial nerve in the calf of both legs. The nerve connects to 21 muscles allowing movement of the leg, foot and toes.

Nathan’s neurologist Dr Manoj Kanhangad, introduced the family to Dr Nelson Low, Head of Paediatric Plastic Surgery at Monash Children’s Hospital, who offered hope in the form of experimental surgery.

To have the compression of the tibial nerve in one calf is uncommon, and in both legs almost unheard of. The cause of the condition remains unknown.

“It was the first time in my career that I had seen this in both calves,” said Dr Low.

“We worked together with Nathan and met multiple times to talk through the surgery which would be done in two stages: the right leg first and then three months later the left. Then it was the question of whether they were prepared to take the risk surgery might not work.”

Surgery went ahead and was a great success, with Nathan now back walking pain free and able to return to school. He has his sights set on getting back on the soccer pitch.