During high school, I had what I thought was a sprained ankle that would not heal. At the time, I was a football player during the fall and ran track and pole vaulted in the spring. While I continued to suffer with pain and constant injuries, I went to multiple doctors until a local orthopedic surgeon diagnosed me with tarsal coalition. He was unable to treat my condition and referred me to one of the best orthopedic surgeons in my home state of Arkansas. Unfortunately, this surgeon’s solution was for me to quit all sports. I wasn’t going to accept that answer.
Soon after, my family researched online and discovered Dr. Norman Waldrop at Andrews Sports Medicine in Birmingham, Alabama. We made the 6-hour trip to Birmingham. Dr. Waldrop confirmed I was suffering from tarsal coalition. During my appointment with Dr. Waldrop, I knew a subtalar fusion (fusing my foot & ankle) would be necessary if I wanted to continue playing sports.
I was nervous about the surgery and the months-long recovery, but it was the best decision of my life. Not only was I able to finish my high school football career, I went on to compete track & field in college. This season, I placed second at the AMC Conference Championship and was named All-Conference.
Without Dr. Waldrop I would not be attending college on a track & field scholarship. I will always be grateful to Dr. Waldrop and Andrews Sports Medicine for helping me achieve my athletic dreams!
