Rowdy Burton (inset and right), 30, from Alabama, was born with a rare lower spinal disorder known as Sacral Agenesis. At just three years old, he was forced to have both of his legs amputated, which left him with two stumps beneath his waist. Although he uses a wheelchair to play tennis, Mr Burton chooses to get around on his hands and elbows, even managing to ride a skateboard (right). Not amputating his legs would have caused him to carry 'dead wood' that he could not bend (pictured left before the procedure).
The man with half a body who longs to be loved: Amputee, 30, who lost his legs when he was 3 uses his hands and elbows to walk and reveals his disability has stopped him from finding a girlfriend
