A dream deferred but not denied by ACL tear

The dream of playing college soccer was within reach. Emily had been working on her game since she was four years old, and at 16 was now co-captain of both her high school and club teams. Colleges were taking note. Just three games into club season, Emily was on the field in North Carolina, running back to her net when she tore her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). She heard her knee pop, and knew immediately what had happened. “I’ve always had a high tolerance for pain, but that definitely raised the bar,” she says. Her mother Lauri can still hear her daughter’s screams from that day as she watched the event unfold from the sidelines. Six months later, Emily is tackling recovery the same way she tackles life. “Emily is a go-getter,” says Lauri. “In school and in soccer, she works and works and works — she just never stops.” Double diagnosis: Torn ACL and meniscus The day of the injury, Emily and her family bought a pair of crutches and some Advil at a local pharmacy, and flew back to Boston on their scheduled flight. Despite the pain, Emily went to school the next morning because she didn’t want to fall behind in her studies. Her dad picked her up early from school and they drove together to meet with Dr. Benton Heyworth, orthopedic surgeon at Boston Children’s Hospital Sports Medicine Division. An MRI confirmed Emily had torn both her ACL and meniscus. She knew it was coming, but the diagnosis was hard to hear. “I remember looking out the wind...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Our Patients’ Stories ACL surgery ACL tear Division of Sports Medicine Dr. Benton Heyworth Micheli Center Source Type: news