The Cedar Rapids Gazette recently featured Devin Martz, 11, of Muscatine who is using a special prosthetic made for him by UI biomedical engineering student Conor Bryant.

In June of 2016 Devin was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a cancerous tumor in a bone that commonly affects teens and young adults, in his left knee. He is being honored at this year's Courage Ride, an annual bike ride along Eastern Iowa paved and gravel roads that raises money for the University of Iowa Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Sarcoma Research Program.

Bryant became involved with the Courage Ride after two of his friends — Nik Jiruska and Jay Burger — were diagnosed with sarcoma several years ago and died last year. Bryant still wears a black and gold rubber bracelet on his wrist that reads “You da man, Nik” that was once used as entry to a fundraiser Bryant was helping organize to raise funds for their treatments.

After designing, creating and building the prosthetic with assistance from professors — Bryant had a working model so that Devin could ride his bike.

To read the complete Gazette story, go to http://www.thegazette.com/subject/life/people-places/courage-ride-honors-11-year-old-cancer-survivor-20170818.