Abigail Najdzinowicz

My name is Abigail Najdzinowicz. I am a high school senior and I’ve been playing soccer for as long as I can remember. My life revolved around the sport. Ever since I was young, I’ve had dreams about playing soccer in college. One day in February, I was skiing with my family when another skier hit me. I got knocked down hard and tried to get right back up as I always did, however this time, I couldn’t. Something was different. My knee didn’t feel right. I didn’t think the injury was anything serious or alarming but I was advised to get an MRI. I initially saw a local orthopedic surgeon but wanted to get a second opinion. Within a few days, I was able to get an appointment to see Dr. Shubin Stein at her office in New York City. When the words “torn ACL and meniscus” came out of her mouth, it confirmed my worst fear. I was devastated and crushed. I thought my world was falling apart in the blink of an eye. At that moment, Dr. Shubin Stein knew exactly what to do. She comforted me and assured me everything was going to be alright. I knew right away I wanted her to perform my surgery. I felt very comfortable with Dr. Shubin Stein and she reassured me that if I put in hard work and dedicated myself, I would be back to playing soccer. On March 3, 2021, my parents and I headed to HSS. I’ve never had surgery so I was very nervous. However, the nurses and staff at HSS talked me through everything and reassured me that I had the best doctor. My surgery was a success and I was on a mission to get back to playing soccer better than before. I worked hard every day at physical therapy and made sure to complete all my exercises to the best of my ability. The journey back wasn’t easy but it definitely was not impossible. Rehab was physically, mentally and emotionally hard. It was like a rollercoaster. Some days were good and others were not. As a captain for my high school soccer team, I had to sit on the bench my entire senior year due to my injury. This was really hard for me because I couldn’t be on the field competing with my best friends who I played with since my freshman year. Despite all of this, I persevered and channeled this energy into my workouts. After spending hours at physical therapy, three times a week, every week, starting the week after surgery, I saw great improvement. My goal was to return to play in time for a soccer showcase tournament in California. When it was time to book the airline tickets and hotel, no one was sure if I was going to be able to play, however I told myself I would be stepping on the field. After nine months of hard work, blood, sweat, and tears, I was finally on the field in California. By the end of the tournament, I was offered a scholarship to play on a Division 1 collegiate soccer team! I want to thank Dr. Shubin Stein, Kyra and the rest of the staff for the resources they were able to provide. They were all so positive and caring at every visit. Dr. Shubin Stein helped me achieve my dream of playing soccer at the next level, and for that, I am extremely grateful.