Trinity Gober was running to home plate during a school kickball game in April 2023 when she heard a “snap.” It left the 11-year-old in extreme pain and unable to stand.
That snap turned out to be a fracture of the tibial tubercle, the upper part of the tibia (shinbone). After an exam and X-rays, Trinity was referred to pediatric orthopedic surgeon Rachel Randall, M.D., at Marshfield Children’s. Marshfield Children’s is part of the Sanford Health system.
Expert urgent care
The Gober family spent the night at Marshfield Children’s Hospital in Marshfield, Wisconsin, and surgery was scheduled for the next day.
“The displacement of the fracture indicated to me that the sooner we fix it, the better,” said Dr. Randall. “When there is concern for skin tenting or skin compromise, surgery should be set up as soon as possible. This type of fracture carries a small risk of compartment syndrome, due to bleeding inside the muscle compartments. That’s another reason we admit patients – to watch them carefully before surgery.”
The surgery involved repositioning the tibial tubercle and securing it with screws so it heals properly.
Physical and emotional support
Before surgery, a child life specialist with Marshfield Children’s visited with Trinity to help ease her anxiety and answer questions.
Child life specialists focus on emotional safety as much as physical safety, preparing children and families for medical experiences.
“She asked Trinity about her interests and explained the surgery,” said Amber Gober, Trinity’s mom. “She showed us pictures of the operating room, brought in some of the tools and answered all our questions. She also gave Trinity a fuzzy blanket, a stuffed animal and a coloring book with pencils. Later, she brought in card and board games and even a PlayStation. This was so helpful in keeping Trinity’s mind off her leg and the upcoming surgery.”
Dr. Randall also came to visit with the Gober family before surgery and answer additional questions. After surgery, the family learned new information about Trinity’s injury.
Dr. Randall found that Trinity has Osgood-Schlatter disease, an inflammation of the growth plate where the patellar tendon attaches to the tibia bone. It weakens the bone and can make kids more likely to fracture through that area, like what happened to Trinity.
The Gobers returned home to Wausau the next day. Over the next year, Trinity had several follow-up appointments and completed extensive physical therapy to safely regain strength and range of motion.
Giving back to support other kids
The summer after her surgery, Trinity, her brother and their cousin held a lemonade stand to raise money and give back to the child life program.
“She realized the gifts she received and the games that were available to her were because other people had donated funds to their program,” Amber said. “The kids raised $147.50 in a short time. What surprised me was how generous our neighborhood was once they found out what the funds were going to be used for.”
Photo courtesy of the Gober family
Thriving after treatment
One year later, Trinity had a second surgery to remove the screws used to fix the fracture.
“The screws can be prominent or cause discomfort when kneeling, so they can be removed once the fracture is totally healed and remodeled,” Dr. Randall said. “During surgery, I also smoothed the bony prominence caused by Osgood-Schlatter and the fracture.”
Dr. Randall shares that Trinity is doing great and she’s thrilled she can run and jump confidently and without pain from her injury.
“Trinity is an absolutely amazing person. Child life meant a lot to her and to her family during her hospitalization and surgeries, and she chose to give back to their department,” Dr. Randall said. “I’m so proud to have her as my patient.”
The Gober family thanks Dr. Randall for her bedside manner and connection with Trinity during her surgeries.
“What really stands out is how patient-focused Dr. Randall is. She talked to Trinity about her concerns throughout the last two years, versus asking me all the questions, which I absolutely loved,” Amber said. “She always made sure to ask her about things outside of her leg, too, and really got to know Trinity so she could have a better understanding of what she was going through. … Hopefully we never have to deal with broken bones in the future, but if we ever do, we certainly know we’ll be requesting Dr. Randall.”
Learn more
- Child life specialists help kids cope with hospital stays
- How to treat strains, sprains, fractures and breaks
- Sanford Health, Marshfield Clinic complete merger
…
Posted In Children's, Marshfield, Orthopedics, Specialty Care
