Shriners Children's
ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Seventeen-year-old Colton Metzler of Ellis works on his family’s farm, raises livestock through the 4-H program, and currently plays golf and football for his high school. Excelling at that many extracurriculars is a standout achievement on its own for any child, but Colton has shown immense work ethic and determination after being born with fibular hemimelia and having his leg amputated at just over a year old.
Shriners Children’s is proud to announce Colton as one of its two International Patient Ambassadors (IPAs) for 2026-27. The nonprofit healthcare system selects two IPAs from a pool of thousands of patients across the United States, Canada and Mexico every year. Colton will spend the next 12 months traveling and detailing his medical journey across North America at major events like the Rose Parade, East-West Shrine Bowl and many more.
“I’m looking forward to the opportunity of traveling the country and meeting new people,” Colton said. “I hope that I can spread the word about Shriners Children’s. Maybe there’s a parent out there right now, a future parent or a kid going through something that can be treated at Shriners Children’s. I hope telling my story leads them to the care they need.”
Colton’s mom, Becky, underwent an ultrasound during her pregnancy, where it was revealed that Colton had legs measuring different lengths, but his diagnosis couldn’t be confirmed until he was born. Colton came into the world missing his entire fibula on his left leg, along with having a shorter leg, bowed tibia, malformed ankle and missing toe, and started as a patient at Shriners Children’s St. Louis as an infant. After his parents discussed many options with his care team, Colton underwent a Symes amputation at 1 year and 19 days old.
Ever since, Colton has been returning to Shriners Children’s as needed for checkups and to get fitted for new prosthetics. Colton’s prosthetist at Shriners Children’s St. Louis, Darren Rottman, is also an amputee and wears a prosthetic. For a young kid growing up with a limb difference, being able to relate to his prosthetist was vital in his care.
“If I ever had questions or needed something fixed, Darren truly spoke my language and related to me,” Colton said. “I can also tell Darren really cares about me as a person, not just a patient. He always asks me how my sports are going and if there’s anything they can do to help me in any way.”
Colton hasn’t just played sports, but he’s made an impact on every team he’s been on. As a football player, Colton got varsity playing time during his freshman year and now starts on defense. In golf, he played in the high school state tournament his sophomore and junior seasons and looks to continue that success his senior year. Even though Colton is very successful now, he’s had his challenges along the way.
“When I was 7 or 8, I was tired of having one real leg and I wanted two real legs,” Colton said. “I complained to my dad that my life wasn’t fair. My dad sat me down and showed me replicas of my leg they had made before my amputation surgery. He explained that if I still had those, I wouldn’t be able to play sports, jump around, run and do all the stuff I loved doing as a kid. I realized no matter the circumstances, if your mindset is in the right place, you can do whatever you set your mind to. From that point on, I never looked at my limb difference as a disadvantage, but looked at it as this is something I can use to propel myself forward.”
Colton is entering his senior year of high school and is excited to balance his final year while traveling the country and sharing his medical journey as an International Patient Ambassador for Shriners Children’s.
About Shriners Children’s
Shriners Children’s improves the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, conducting innovative research, and offering outstanding education programs for medical professionals. Children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care, regardless of the families’ ability to pay or insurance status, and receive all care and services in a compassionate, family-centered environment. For more information, please visit shrinerschildrens.org.