He is wearing casts on both legs that stretch to his hips and have a bar connecting them.

Once those come off in six weeks, he has two to four years of rehabilitation therapy to look forward to.

Yet Josh Phillips maintains that subtle grin, laidback humour and air of maturity which belies the fact he is just 12 years old.

As we reported recently, Josh has been struck with Legg-Calvé Perthes disease (LCPD), a rare disease of the hip that afflicts about one in 1,200 children.

The Orangeville boy successfully underwent surgery at Toronto’s Sick Kids hospital August 3, where doctors stretched tendons in his lower body

far as they could.

When LCPD strikes, as

did to Josh last November, bone death occurs in the ball of the hip due to an interruption in blood flow.

As bone death occurs, the ball develops a fracture of the supporting bone. This fracture signals the beginning of bone reabsorption by the body. As bone is slowly absorbed, it is replaced by new tissue and bone.

Tendons serve to connect muscle to bones and help stabilize body joints.

So, for close to two months, Josh will be pretty well confined to a single floor of his Second Street home; contenting himself with video games and visits from friends and family as the healing process continues.

According to his mother, Candace Phillips, Josh is “doing very well” as far as his state of mind is concerned.

“He is tired and sore, but I definitely have to give him credit. I don’t think I could put up with what he’s gone through.”

Fundraising efforts for Josh and his family hit a major roadblock at Monday’s town council meeting when the Deck Pub and Grill on Mill Street had its request for an Aug. 22 closure of Mill Street denied.

The pub had planned to host a motorcycle show ’n’ shine that Sunday with proceeds going to the family.

But in accordance with local protocols, requests for a road closure are forwarded to the town’s public works department, and if there are any public objections, public works customarily denies the application and defers the matter to council. The applicant is then free to appeal the decision and address council.

Two such appeals were on Monday’s agenda. One delegation appeared to appeal a denial for a road closure on Glengarry Road. After hearing them out, council granted them the road closure.

But in the case of the Deck, a spokesperson said the applicant had been misinformed as to the time council met on Monday and, because of this, had missed the opportunity to address council.

The objecting party in this case was the Orangeville Police Service.

Police chief Joe Tomei said in an interview that police had recommended the application be denied because of the applicant’s history of non-compliance with liquor regulations.

Chief Tomei said police do not have any general objections to motorcycle show ’n’ shines.