Inspirational

Insurance Covered a Prosthesis for Walking, Not Baseball: One Family’s Push for Change

Written by Bryan Potok on October 21, 2026
Last updated on October 21, 2026

Reading Time: 4 minutes

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Summary:

Insurance covered Gavin Yonce’s everyday prosthetic leg, but not the one he needs for baseball.
His family joined So Every BODY Can Move, a national campaign for coverage of activity prostheses.
Virginia’s HB 216 would have required coverage but did not advance past subcommittee in 2026.
Gavin’s message to other kids: keep going and don’t give up on what you love.

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Gavin Yonce plays baseball to stay active and spend time with friends. His family is doing all they can to keep the 13-year-old on the field, but a gap in insurance coverage puts that at risk.

Gavin’s insurance covered a basic prosthesis for walking, but not the dedicated prosthesis he needs to play baseball, run, or swim. The difference between a prosthesis for everyday mobility and one designed for sports is clear, as Gavin would learn.

Gavin Yonce, a 13-year-old baseball player with a right-leg prosthesis, prepares to bat.

(Image: CBS 6)

From growing pains to a cancer diagnosis

Gavin’s mother, Jenny Yonce, told WTVR CBS 6 that he began experiencing leg pain at age 10. Doctors first thought his symptoms were due to growing pains, but later, Gavin was diagnosed with bone cancer—Ewing sarcoma—in his right leg. According to the family, his odds of surviving without major surgery and chemotherapy were around 10%.

Gavin underwent 14 cycles of chemotherapy over nine months, with hospital stays of up to five nights each. He underwent a rotationplasty, a limb-preserving operation that helped him remain active following treatment. Yonce said the family hadn’t expected the treatment to result in limb loss.

What recovery taught Gavin about prostheses

Gavin learned during recovery that adapting to life after limb loss requires more than resolve; each activity may call for a different prosthesis. But throughout it all, he remained committed to returning to the activities he loves.

Once Gavin completed his treatment, the family faced insufficient insurance coverage. Yonce describes her son as a natural athlete who needed a prosthesis that would let him move more. That’s when the family learned insurance wouldn’t cover one.

The family’s answer: advocacy

The Yonces became part of So Every BODY Can Move (SEBCM), a nationwide campaign advocating for broader insurance coverage of orthotic and prosthetic devices designed for specific activities. Yonce now serves as SEBCM’s Virginia co-state lead. She sees movement as a right and says every child, including Gavin, should have the chance to live an active life.

[Yonce] sees movement as a right and says every child, including Gavin, should have the chance to live an active life.

The campaign’s national lead, Nicole Ver Kuilen, has a personal connection to the cause: she lost a leg to osteosarcoma at age 10. Ver Kuilen says she lacked access to the resources she needed to stay physically active while growing up. She describes the legislation as a way to establish in law that people with limb loss can have more than one device—for everyday movement, exercise, physical activity, and basic hygiene.

Taking the case to Richmond

The campaign supported Virginia House Bill 216, introduced by Del. Dan Helmer (D-Fairfax). The bill would have required certain health plans to cover activity orthotics and prosthetics for individuals with mobility impairments or limb loss. However, it did not make it past the subcommittee during this year’s session.

In early 2026, Gavin visited the Virginia General Assembly to meet with legislators. He told them he needs running prosthetics, which insurance does not currently cover.

WTVR reported in July that 15 states had enacted similar laws, with advocates hoping Virginia will follow. The campaign seeks to pass legislation in 28 states ahead of the Paralympic Games in 2028.