Emma’s story: Finding resilience through two major injuries

Emma was running across the soccer field when she was pushed from behind. She felt a pop when her knee hit the ground.

“The second it happened, I knew it was serious,” she says.

She was soon at the Children's Health℠ Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine Plano.

After a number of tests, John Roaten, M.D., Orthopedic Sports Medicine Surgeon at Children’s Health Andrews Institute, had a diagnosis: Her ACL was completely torn and she had a partial tear in her meniscus.

“It was devastating,” Emma says. “It was hard to accept that I’d worked so hard to earn my starting spot and it was ripped away in a split second.”

The road ahead

Emma would need surgery followed by 9-12 months of rehabilitation before she could play soccer again.

“The kids we see at Andrews Institute are often still growing, they have different body types and play different sports. And often, their life revolves around sports. It's their identity and their social circle,” Dr. Roaten says. “So we take all of those factors into account when planning treatment.”

That treatment can include a custom surgery plan, a leading team of physical therapists whose sole focus is working with young athletes, EXOS Performance Training to help athletes return to a high level of play, and mental health support.

Emma’s knee surgery went well, but the recovery felt slow. She was in pain and just taking a shower felt hugely difficult. But she persevered.

Just a few days after surgery, she started rehabilitating her knee with Nicholas Dobson,PT, DPT, SCS, CSCS, Staff Physical Therapist at Children’s Health Andrew’s Institute.

Ten months of physical therapy

Over the next weeks and months, Emma settled into a new routine. A few times per week, she and her mom made the hour and 20-minute drive to Children’s Health Andrew’s Institute for her physical therapy, equipped with everything from squat machines to an anti-gravity treadmill, to help her build strength without putting pressure on her joints.

“Just being in this space, surrounded by young athletes all working to return to a high level of play, is really motivating," Dr. Roaten says.

And having her physical therapist (PT) guide her through a methodical process of regaining her strength and mobility was key to getting back to play.

Still, building up strength wasn’t easy.

“My quad would not gain muscle so passing the quad strength test was one of the hardest things,” she says. “Some days I felt like I wasn’t progressing as quickly as I wanted to and I just felt like I wasn’t enough. But Nick helped me build confidence in my knee and myself.”

She celebrated every milestone with her friends and family. After nearly a year of hard work and determination, Emma heard the words she’d been hoping for: You’re cleared to return to soccer.

Back on the field

A few months later, Emma was chasing down the ball. She tried to cut, and her knee hyperextended.

“My coach tried to convince me that it wasn’t my ACL, but I knew it was,” Emma says.

Dr. Roaten’s heart sank when he saw Emma’s name on his schedule. And Emma was right. She had torn her ACL, this time on her other knee.

“I was more confident going into a second surgery because I had Dr. Roaten again and my last surgery went well,” Emma says.

But having just been down the road to recovery, Emma would have to dig even deeper to do it all again.

“My mental health hasn’t been the best since my injuries,” Emma says. “Sitting out of sports has made me feel lonely and useless. But my friends, family and faith have helped me keep going.”

A bright future

Emma will finish her last few months of physical therapy at the new Children’s Health Andrews Institute location in Fairview, TX. She couldn't imagine doing physical therapy with anyone other than her favorite PT, so she decided to follow him to Fairview.

“Nick keeps me motivated on days I don’t feel like going,” she says. “He always cheers me up and reminds me why I'm there.”

One of Nick’s favorite parts of his job is building a rapport with his patients – getting to know them, learning what motivates them and making physical therapy as fun as possible.

“Emma has this incredible resilience,” he says. “She always puts in the work. Even if she’s tired, even if she says she doesn’t want to, she still shows up and gets it done. And that’s rare.”

The second time around, Emma’s goals look a little different. Instead of returning to soccer, she’s focused on lowering her risk of another knee injury and getting back into playing volleyball. And with high school graduation on the horizon, she’s aiming even higher: pursuing a degree in kinesiology with dreams of becoming a Doctor of Physical Therapy.

In nearly two years of recovery, Emma has learned a lot about building strength and resilience. For her, she’s found that strength in her support system and her faith.

“It sucks, but I know God has a plan.”

She also shared some advice for athletes going through a long rehabilitation.

Learn more

The Children's Health Andrews Institute’s fourth location is now open at Children’s Health Specialty Center Fairview. The new location brings specialized care closer to families in Collin and Denton counties, offering services from orthopedics and sports medicine, to fracture and concussion care. Young athletes have access to same-day care for acute injuries and our on-site rehabilitation gym. No matter the location, athletes can receive sport-specific, personalized rehabilitation with the same PT and athletic trainer at nearly every visit, building a trusting, long-term relationship throughout their care journey.

Learn more about preventing ACL tears and other common soccer injuries.