A DISABLED father was thrown a last minute life-line in his frantic search for suitable accommodation for himself and his son who was about to have a major leg operation after being diagnosed with bone cancer Two months ago Philip Cole was in desperate s

A DISABLED father was thrown a last minute life-line in his frantic search for suitable accommodation for himself and his son who was about to have a major leg operation after being diagnosed with bone cancer

Two months ago Philip Cole was in desperate situation when he discovered that his 14-year-old son Kyle was going to be in a wheelchair after the operation.

Philip, aged 37, is himself paralysed down one side following a road accident and he would not have been able to get his son up and down the stairs of the second-floor flat in London Colney where they were then living.

Then just four days before the operation in April, St Albans District Council found the pair a ground-floor council flat in Heath Close, Harpenden.

And Kyle's operation at Stanmore Hospital went amazingly well. Despite the fact that he has had most of the bones in one leg removed - he can walk with crutches, thanks to a new state-of-the-art knee implant.

Part of the femur and the tibula and fibula were removed shortening the leg. But he has been given a magnetic implant with a knee magnet and gearbox which enables a metal rod in the leg to be stretched. Only 100 such implants have been used and Philip believes that if Kyle had been diagnosed with Osteosarcoma a couple of years ago, he would have lost his leg.

He said that Kyle was in much better spirits after the operation. He is still undergoing chemotherapy sessions, but Philip is hoping his son will be able to go back to Nicholas Breakspear for the start of the autumn term in September.

Philip has been preparing the new flat with the help of friends as Kyle was due to come out of UCL hospital on Monday to spend two weeks at home.

Philip said that he wanted to thank everyone who had helped him during the crisis.

Philip had lost custody of Kyle to his son's mother when the couple split up around five years ago, but he continued to live in Ireland after the separation.

In August last year, social services asked Philip to take over care of Kyle who wanted to leave the area.

They moved to London Colney where Philip has friends and he took on the second-floor flat thinking that he would be able to cope with a healthy 14-year-old around.

But just after the New Year, Kyle was diagnosed with the cancer.

Kyle had been a keen sportsman at Nicholas Breakspear School, playing football, rugby and long-distance running. But doctors have said it is unlikely Kyle will be able to play sports again as his leg bone has been replaced by a metal rod and he will walk with a limp.