Emily Sullivan

At the age of only 11 years, Emily was blindsided while speeding down the basketball court on a fast break. Instead of scoring the basket, she flew in the air and drove her right knee into the court. Not knowing what this injury was, and not suspecting an 11 year old could tear her ACL, she continued to play in a basketball tournament, after being misdiagnosed by a local orthopedic. When the swelling did not go down, we asked for an MRI, which revealed our worst fear, a torn ACL and meniscus. We then went to HSS to see what our next step was, as the original doctor had never seen this injury on a 5th grader. That's when we met Dr. Wickiewicz. Doctor Wickiewicz explained that Emily should have surgery to repair her knee. Six months to the day, Emily was back on the soccer field scoring goals. She played competitively and outstanding soccer, basketball and swam for 4 years (she was a star on each team). As a freshman in high school, she made the varsity basketball team and became a starter. One day in practice however, her pediatric procedure gave out and she tore that same ACL and meniscus again. Six months of hard work again allowed her to get back to her soccer team in the Fall and continue her High School career. Without HSS and especially, Dr. Wickiewicz, Emily would have never had the successful career that she had. Now a senior, her athletic career is over on the field and court as she heads off to the University of Delaware in the Fall where she plans to participate on the Club Swim Team.