Physical therapist Elizabeth Betancourt gives Kristofer Robinson a high-five after a therapy session Dec. 20 for his prosthetic leg he received in September at Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh.

This is one in a series of stories that reviews what happened to some people who were in the news in 2010.By age 2, a rare cancer left Kristofer Robinson with just one leg. His schedule revolved around chemotherapy, which caused his head to revert to the baldness of a baby.Now a year later, the Winfield Township toddler looks the part of a big boy, sporting a head of hair and using a prosthetic leg to walk and pedal a tricycle.“We're currently five months cancer free: Woo hoo!” said his mother Rachel, who spent the first half of 2010 commuting to Children's Hospital for treatment.“We can go and do things that other people do like go to the grocery store, have fun with friends ... go to church,” she said.Kristofer was featured in the Butler Eagle a year ago.Because growth spurts occasionally mandate updating his prosthetic, Kristofer maintains twice weekly appointments at Children's, where he “plays” with physical therapist Elizabeth Betancourt.“In terms of what he's accomplished in the last year — and even looking at a shorter time frame in the last three months since he got his leg — is just incredible,” Betancourt said.“He has gone from ... sitting in one position for a prolonged period of time to now being able to take steps on his own without help. He really has done wonderfully.”Because his immune system is no longer compromised by chemo, Kristofer sets play dates with friends and over the summer traveled to Lancaster County, where he rode his favorite character, Thomas the Tank Engine, offered several times annually through the Strasburg Rail Road.Although the Robinsons are making the most of Kristofer's recovery, he still is required to undergo MRI and CAT scans every three months. Barring any recurrence of the disease during the next two years, screenings will scale back to six-month intervals as is common with cancer survivors.“It's because his cancer is so rare,” Rachel Robinson said. “It's aggressive also. They don't want to risk missing something.”The cancer, mesenchymal chondrosarcoma, attacks cartilage, usually in young adults or middle aged adults, according to Dr. James “Jake” Cooper, an oncologist who treated Kristofer.Cooper said even in older patients, mesenchymal chondrosarcoma is uncommon, with only about 500 cases reported worldwide since 1959.Rachel said cancer has recurred eventually in all diagnosed cases, with lapses as long as 11 years. But lack of documentation in Kristofer's age group has led all involved to hope he will bypass that trend.“It's just a matter of keeping a watchful eye and saying your prayers,” Rachel said.