Take one look at Alex Underberg racing down the soccer field, and it’s hard to imagine that some doubted he would ever walk.

The 12-year-old Germantown Fury 95 Premier soccer forward has a fiercely competitive spirit – the kind that won’t be slowed by even the most severe deformity. Lucky for him, he doesn’t have to.

When Alex was born, his toes almost touched his shins – a condition known as bilateral vertical talus. While his right foot eventually corrected itself, the more severely-affected left foot required numerous surgeries to repair the problem.

“We didn’t think that he would walk and that other kids would make fun of him. We would have flown anywhere to get him the best care,” said Alex’s mom, Marsha Underberg. They didn’t have to.

What Mike and Marsha Underberg discovered was that Memphis already had the best their son needed in orthopedic care – with pediatric orthopedist Bill Warner of The Campbell Clinic, and the great team at Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center.

“You can’t get any better than Le Bonheur,” said Marsha. She should know, given the amount of time she’s spent inside the hospital. All of Alex’s surgeries were performed in Le Bonheur operating rooms, and the Underbergs also spent a lot of time at Le Bonheur with their oldest child, Ryan, now 29.

When Alex was born on Aug. 20, 1994, doctors immediately took him because of the problem with his feet. Marsha’s father, Dr. Melvin Kraus, worried that Alex would never walk or play like a normal child.

“Luckily for us, Dr. Warner came along. They were very, very supportive. Dr. Warner was more upbeat than I was,” Marsha said. “He outlined what we would need to do to correct Alex’s deformity and we started as soon as he gave us the go ahead.”

Several surgeries, casts, a brace and orthopedic shoe later, Alex has dreams of getting a college soccer scholarship. Today, he does stretching exercises with a therapist, and has a orthotic shoe he can wear when needed.

In addition, he works on stretching and conditioning with a physical trainer to increase his point and flex abilities with both feet – with a primary emphasis on the left. And when he’s out on the field, Alex wears a very strong adhesive tape during games and practices that The Campbell Clinic’s physical therapy team provides.

“This pulls his Achilles tendon lateral and gives him more flexibility while running,” said Marsha. In addition, his soccer coach, Carl Schmidt, works with stretching, endurance at every practice.

When he isn’t playing competitive soccer with the Germantown Fury team, he’s running a 5K, playing basketball for the Jewish Community Center, or picking up another sport. Alex attends the sixth-grade optional program at White Station Middle School.

Marsha admits, though, that she sometimes wonders if Alex will always be able to compete at the highest levels of sport with other children who weren’t born with his problems.

“I would opt for more surgery if I knew it would help,” she said. “He’s probably the second-fastest on the soccer team,” said Marsha. “He just has a funny looking foot.”

And a competitive spirit to match it.

“He doesn’t want to be handicapped,” Marsha said. “And he’s such a good kid.”

Please  click here to read more about other special children whose lives were saved by Le Bonheur's excellent care.