My husband and I married in 2016 with a bucket list of traveling and hiking plans. Shortly after our honeymoon, I started to experience pain in my left hip. The pain eventually became so bad that I was not able to walk through the grocery store. After trying physical therapy and a few other doctors, I was finally referred to Dr. Ellis and in July of 2017, he diagnosed me with Hip Dysplasia in both hips, but it was worse in my left. I underwent my left PAO and labrum repair surgery in November 2017. I was finally recovered and feeling ready for physical activity again by the summer of 2018, but I was starting to feel the same pain that I had felt in my left hip, in my right hip. In the spring of 2019, I decided to see Dr. Ellis about my right hip and I scheduled my right hip PAO and labrum repair in June. This recovery was much easier and I was cleared to start running by November of 2019! Finally I was healthy and my husband and I decided to book our first hike, to Patagonia.On March 9, 2020, we started an 8 day, 80 mile, backpacking trip through Torres del Paine. We saw mountains, glaciers, forests covered in moss, drank glacier water, and loved every second of it! Once we finished our hike through Torres del Paine, we were supposed to go to Argentina to hike more, but unfortunately with Covid-19, we were not able to make it into the country and had to cut our trip short. But most importantly, I was able to make it through the whole hike through Torres del Paine with no hip pain! Thank you so much Dr. Ellis and his team for everything you have done for me! My husband and I are already planning our next hike and we wouldn't be able to do any this without you!
After my surgeries, I have achieved so many great things academically and in athletics. In March 2024, I competed at NDA High School Nationals just two months after getting eight screws removed from my hips and five months after my second PAO surgery. My team placed second and third in the nation. In April 2024, I started my fourth season on my high schools varsity dance team, as well as my third year as varsity captain. In July 2024, around 9 months after my second surgery, I was named to the NDA All-American team and awarded my second NDA Excellence in Leadership Award. In August 2024, I was a year out from my first surgery and was dancing almost at my full potential again. In February 2025, I led my team to a fourth place finish in both the AAA pom and AAA kick categories at IHSDTA State Finals, while also being named to the Academic All-State team and receiving 1 of 5 IHSDTA Scholarships. The next weekend, I competed at Solo State Finals and placed in the top 10 out of over 60 senior soloists in the state of Indiana. I will be attending Butler University in the fall to major in Psychology with a minor in Sports Coaching, with the hopes of being a Sports Performance Psychologist. I will also be trying out for the nationally ranked Butler Dance Team in just over a month. None of these great accomplishments would have ever been possible without the help of Dr. Ellis and the Orthopedic ONE staff. I am so grateful for all of the guidance they have given me throughout my journey both before and after my surgeries.