LOCAL NEWS

3-legged dog gives Utah boy courage to deal with rare genetic disorder

Sep 28, 2022, 12:38 PM | Updated: 1:30 pm

At just 14 years old, Travis Carpenter sometimes needs a little nudge when making difficult decisions.

“I like racing because it’s full of action and never runs out of it,” Travis said.

Up here on the deck, he’s actually the “crew chief in-training,” communicating critical information to the driver. He decides on speed. He decides on risk.

“The dangerous part is a lot of the excitement,” Travis said. And he decides on strategy.

He said he’s been into that “probably my entire life so far.”

But the biggest decision this kid has ever made has nothing to do with racing, nothing to do with cars; it was a decision that’s got everything to do with the one thing missing in his life.

“It’s been really hard, it’s really hard,” Travis’ mother, Kelly Carpenter said. “I don’t even know how I would handle it. How am I to teach my kid how to handle this? I mean, he’s my son.”

It was just a short while ago her son had two functioning legs. But one of those legs was not working as well as the other.

“So, Travis has neurofibromatosis,” Kelly Carpenter said. “It’s a genetic condition affecting one in 3,000, and it causes tumors to form on nerves anywhere throughout the body.”

For Travis, the nerves affected were located on his left leg. An MRI that was taken not too long ago shows multiple white spots. Just about every spot on that photo is a tumor.

“There’s a whole bunch on one side that’s not on the other,” Kelly Carpenter said. “I’m pretty sure it’s not supposed to be there.”

“I mean it, there was literally almost no muscle in his thigh; his whole thigh was comprised of this, this tumor,” Dr. Kevin Jones, orthopedic surgeon with Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah. “He just had such weakness in the bone that it just kind of gave up.”

Travis broke his leg once. He broke it twice. After break number three, Jones said, “We fixed his bone with a rod.” Travis’ leg was so consumed by tumors, the bone stopped growing, the muscle got weaker, and life-altering decisions had to be made.

“Travis, this is not working well for you, and if at some point in the future you want to talk to me about other options, I am happy to talk about that, but it’s going to be on your terms,” Jones said.

As Travis was left to think about those other options, the family invested in a little, well, let’s just call it puppy therapy. Along came Lady — an Entlebucher Mountain Dog that’s part brown, part black, part white, and all puppy.

“It was a really good bright spot for all of us in this really, like, ‘Oh man, you know, this stinks, Travis broke his leg, but it was this really fun bright spot,’ ” Kelly Carpenter said.

Alright, now a couple things you should know about this boy and his “really fun bright spot.” Travis likes to high five. Lady likes to high four. And the best part is — Lady is doing every little bit of it minus her one front leg.

“She has a deformed limb, front paw,” Kelly Carpenter said. “They think it was just something that happened in the womb, trapped in amniotic bands.”

In the dog world, Lady is lovingly referred to as a tri-pod. She probably doesn’t know the nudge she was giving to Travis.

“When I saw her get around it really well, I’m like, maybe I should do that so I can get around better than I am right now,” Travis said.

So, on April 29, 2021, Travis had his left leg surgically removed. It was difficult. It was emotional.

“Mentally, it’s still tough, and you just, you still just cry,” Kelly Carpenter said. What he lost that day is not easy to put into words.

“It was a very difficult decision because you can never get your leg back if you get rid of it,” Travis said. But despite that reality, Travis will be the first to tell you the trade-off was an entirely new life. He began doing things; he began experiencing things.

“Yeah, I’m a pretty good driver,” he said. He began pushing towards a future in things he never thought possible.

“And I just wanted to get rid of it so I go out and have fun, go push harder than I ever have before,” Travis said. And pushing right beside him is his three-legged dog.

“She seems to know, like, yeah, he’s a little different; I’m a little different,” Kelly Carpenter said. Travis and those around him will tell you, even without Lady, he eventually would have made the decision to amputate.

“He just needed a little judge; he didn’t need a big nudge,” Jones said. Sometimes in life, when making difficult decisions, every single one of us needs a little nudge.

“We all need something to sort of give us that, that taste of courage to say, ‘I can do this.’ And Travis found that in his puppy,” Jones said.

“I think it’s really cool to have a dog that’s just like me,” Travis said.

KSL 5 TV Live

Local News

Matt Gephardt working with Bona Rose on the CarChex documents....

Matt Gephardt and Sloan Schrage, KSL TV

Get Gephardt: West Valley woman says her extended car warranty claim was denied unfairly

Many drivers buy an extended auto warranty to cover unexpected repair bills. But when a West Valley City woman turned to her warranty provider for major help on her car's transmission, they turned her down - repeatedly.

10 hours ago

Moments before a Salt Lake City woman is hit by a white car in the Avenues....

Eric Cabrera, KSL NewsRadio, Garna Mejia and Michael Houck, KSL TV

Doorbell camera captures another hit-and-run in Salt Lake City

New doorbell camera shows bystanders rushing to save a woman who may be another victim of an alleged serial hit-and-runner.

10 hours ago

A view of the West Temple and 200 South intersection in Salt Lake City....

Michael Houck

A major downtown Salt Lake City intersection will close from April to May

Starting April 1, the West Temple and 200 South intersection will be closed as crews replace natural gas lines.

12 hours ago

Researchers gathered in a Weber State University room for a Air Quality Summit....

Mike Anderson

Air Quality Summit puts focus on Utah air pollution and solutions

Many of the researchers who study Utah's air pollution problems are sharing what they've found while working to find solutions during Thursday's Air Quality Summit.

13 hours ago

Keith Stebbings (right) confronting Loren Richardson (left) after Richardson allegedly entered his ...

Shelby Lofton

‘He wasn’t intending to hurt anybody’: Brighton homeowner attorney says snowboarder confrontation was a misunderstanding

The Brighton man armed with a gun while confronting a snowboarder in a viral video is now facing criminal charges. But his attorney says he had the right to protect his property.

14 hours ago

Follow @KSL5TVLike us on Facebook...

Eliza Pace

VIDEO: Watch the moment a UHP trooper stops a 12-year-old driving on the freeway

Utah Highway Patrol responded to a call of a reckless driver. They didn't know until after they stopped the car that it was a 12-year-old driver.

15 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Women hold card for scanning key card to access Photocopier Security system concept...

Les Olson

Why Printer Security Should Be Top of Mind for Your Business

Connected printers have vulnerable endpoints that are an easy target for cyber thieves. Protect your business with these tips.

Modern chandelier hanging from a white slanted ceiling with windows in the backgruond...

Lighting Design

Light Up Your Home With These Top Lighting Trends for 2024

Check out the latest lighting design trends for 2024 and tips on how you can incorporate them into your home.

Technician woman fixing hardware of desktop computer. Close up....

PC Laptops

Tips for Hassle-Free Computer Repairs

Experiencing a glitch in your computer can be frustrating, but with these tips you can have your computer repaired without the stress.

Close up of finger on keyboard button with number 11 logo...

PC Laptops

7 Reasons Why You Should Upgrade Your Laptop to Windows 11

Explore the benefits of upgrading to Windows 11 for a smoother, more secure, and feature-packed computing experience.

Stylish room interior with beautiful Christmas tree and decorative fireplace...

Lighting Design

Create a Festive Home with Our Easy-to-Follow Holiday Prep Guide

Get ready for festive celebrations! Discover expert tips to prepare your home for the holidays, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for unforgettable moments.

Battery low message on mobile device screen. Internet and technology concept...

PC Laptops

9 Tips to Get More Power Out of Your Laptop Battery

Get more power out of your laptop battery and help it last longer by implementing some of these tips from our guide.

3-legged dog gives Utah boy courage to deal with rare genetic disorder