My story begins on January 5, 2016 in beautiful Ocho Rios, Jamaica. That morning I was so excited to go to the Blue Hole. The Blue Hole, is a spot in the middle of the jungle where you cliff dive and rope swing into little lagoons, it’s awesome!
As I was preparing to jump off the cliff, I accidentally slipped on a piece of algae on the waterfall and fell down hard. After my initial fall, I slid to the edge of the waterfall and was desperately trying to grab onto something so I didn’t go over the waterfall. I wasn’t able to grab onto anything and over the waterfall I went. When I hit the water I noticed right away my right foot had hit something. I swam over to the edge and the tour guides and random tourists were screaming and in a state of panic!
I couldn’t put any weight on my foot and several people had to carry me. I decided to not go to the hospital. I honestly thought I had a very bad ankle sprain.
We went back to the hotel and I had to get a wheelchair to get back to my room—there was no way I could make it without some help. I was mentally crushed. I passed the final few days of vacation lying by the pool.
On Sunday January 10, 2016 I got on the plane and made the three hour flight back to Philadelphia. I drove my car home and decided I should go to the hospital.
At the hospital I was taken for x-rays. They diagnosed me with a broken foot, but didn’t tell me the exact type of fracture. Eventually, the hospital gave me a card to setup an appointment with Dr. Joseph Daniel.
Tuesday January 12, 2016 was the day that I felt my whole world had ended. Dr. Daniel explained I needed major surgery. The diagnosis was a Displaced Talus Fracture. Thankfully Dr. Daniel is the best and assured me that I would be ok. I trusted him right away. My surgery was set for January 18, 2016.
The surgery was completed with no pain or complications and the road to recovery began. I had to lay in bed 24/7 with right foot elevated for several days. Then I was casted and told to lay with the foot elevated. Two months later, I got my cast off and I thought life could go on! Man, was I wrong!
I started my rehabilitation soon after the cast came off. I literally had to learn how to walk and use my right foot again. I spent all of 2016 rehabbing. I love basketball more than anything and I missed it so much. I didn’t touch or shoot a basketball for nine months. It felt like a lifetime to me!
At the beginning on 2017, I started to slowly run again and build up my strength and conditioning to start playing basketball. I had some setbacks, but the challenge to get the closest I could back to 100% was what kept me going. As of February 2018, 25 months after my injury, I have declared myself the closest I will ever get to 100%. I can play full court basketball and I have no limp or any other issue with my foot.
I can’t thank everyone at Rothman enough for their professionalism and expertise in helping me. Being selected as the Sixers MVP-atient is awesome!
