Field of Dreams – A Second Chance

Eleven-year-old Austin was at the height of his young baseball career when a chance to score left him in agonizing pain and unable to walk. Austin was attempting to slide into home plate when he suddenly felt a sharp pain shoot through his knee cap. As Austin laid there waiting for help, his mom, Jaime, came rushing to his side. Austin’s dad carried him off the field and they immediately drove him to the CHRISTUS Children’s H-E-B Emergency Department.

Physicians referred Austin to Dr. Tyler Stavinoha, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at CHRISTUS Children’s. Dr. Stavinoha concluded that Austin had an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. Dr. Stavinoha explained to Austin’s parents that three bones meet to form the knee joint: the femur, tibia, and patella. These bones are connected by ligaments. The ACL is the ligament that connects the thighbone to the shinbone at the knee and Austin’s was in need of repair.

Unfortunately for Austin, his ACL was completely torn, and he required surgery, ending his baseball season. Upon arriving for surgery, Austin’s parents knew their son was in excellent hands, but still, they worried for their little boy.

“From the moment we walked through the doors, the care was incredible. Every nurse who interacted with Austin made sure he was comfortable, and they constantly reassured us that everything was going to be ok,” said Jaime.

Austin’s surgery lasted several hours. As Austin began to wake up, Dr. Stavinoha provided his parents with photos of his knee during the procedure and reassured them he would be back to stealing home plate in no time. Soon enough, Austin was awake, and his healing journey began.

“I’ve never been to a hospital as wonderful as CHRISTUS Children’s. The entire team of Associates are caring and compassionate people who genuinely love what they do,” said Jaime.

The recovery time for ACL repair surgery is typically nine to twelve months. Two weeks after surgery, Austin was up and learning to walk with his new leg brace and crutches. Although the recovery process is lengthy, Austin is looking forward to healing and getting back onto the diamond with his teammates.

At his one-month post-op appointment, Dr. Stavinoha noted that Austin’s ACL was healing just as expected. Austin is still visiting physical therapy once a week and is healing remarkably.

“I know we made the right choice bringing Austin to CHRISTUS Children’s. The care we have received from beginning to end is second-to-none,” said Jaime.

For more information on how you can help give kids like Austin a second chance to chase their dreams, visit ChristusChildrensFoundations.org.