As Americans, we love good redemption stories. We love it when people are able to rise back up after they have been knocked down and still find success.
Injuries are often the catalyst for these stories. Serious, life-altering injuries often force people to change their plans for their careers. In many cases, it spurs them to do something they never knew they were passionate about.
For one Northern Illinois University basketball player, that was exactly the case after suffering a disastrous foot injury. The Daily Herald explores this in a recent article titled “Despite painful past, NIU’s Brewer a medical marvel.” Patricia Babcock McGraw of the Daily Herald writes, “Doctors had to make four incisions on her right foot. One was to remove bunions that had formed on the top of her foot due to her improper gait. A second cut was on the inside of the foot to stretch the tendons and then reattach them. The final two incisions were on the outside of the foot. A bone graft was used to make the bones there longer in order to create an arch. In addition, her heel bone was broken in half and elongated to help support the arch. And the bone on the top of the foot was realigned because it had come out of its socket. ‘They found a lot more in there to repair than they originally thought,’ Brewer said. ‘It was like I had four different surgeries on that one foot.’ The good news is that doctors anticipate a full recovery, and Brewer should be able to pursue her dream of passing police academy training. ‘I’m excited to see how my body feels when this is all over,’ Brewer said. ‘I really want to be a detective and I want to have a normal life. I’m hoping I’ll be able to do that with better feet.’ The promise of a career as a detective helps take the sting out of her abbreviated career as a college basketball player.”
While it has to be crushing to lose the rest of your career playing the sport you love, Brewer’s loss may be the rest of her community’s gain. As a detective, she can help more people than she can possibly imagine. There is no question that a successful reconstructive surgery will go a long way towards her success in this new field.
If you are considering reconstructive foot surgery, Rex E. Moulton Barrett, M.D. is a surgeon you can trust for this procedure. Dr. Moulton-Barrett is board certified with The American Board of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and The American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
As one of the top cosmetic and reconstructive surgeons in the country, you know you will be in good hands. Contact us for a consultation.