Knee

Courtney Montegomery
Grade 12
My eyes opened as the ambulance swerved down the
curvy mountain pass. I covered my head with Blankie to
muffle the blare of the sirens, but the simple splints and
morphine I.V. drip could not ease the pain in my
mangled leg as it jostled about. Just moments earlier, I
had been gliding down the slopes as a carefree six-yearold; that was just the beginning of an ordeal that
included multiple surgeries, an agonizing rehabilitation,
and a life-changing diagnosis.
After several years of frequent patellar dislocations and
being passed from doctor to doctor, one team finally
discovered the cause of the dislocation: the metal rods
had caused redundant scar tissue to for, pinning my
tendons to my femur. Additionally, the excessive trauma
had resulted in my acquiring a poorly understood,
debilitating, currently incurable disorder: Reflex
Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), which causes the
nervous system to overreact to regular stimuli.
Symptoms can include restricted blood flow, sensitivity
to light pressure, and excessive swelling. In my case,
even the jiggling from laughing or tooth brushing
prompted startling pain.
My flourishing soccer career was severely hindered by
the disorder, but Ive created other avenues to deepen
my involvement in sports. As the only student invited by
my schools Athletic Department, for the past three
years I have assisted the Athletic Trainer, treating and

rehabilitating injured athletes for my schools 44 teams.

Aside from daily tapings and treatments, my duties
include the privilege of spending every fall Friday
night on the football sideline with 37, sweaty, smelly,
frustrated boys twice my size and weight, but with only
half my tenacity. Working the sidelines with RSD
certainly has its challenges. I spent my first season in a
walking boot after RSD spread to my ankle. This past
year I had to juggle my medical kit while fumbling
around with my own set of crutches.
My own physically-imposed limitations inspired me to
get involved with Operation Smile, an international
organization dedicated to helping third-world children
with cleft palates. I have been involved in Operation
Smile for six years as a part of their international
leadership team, travelling the globe with them
spreading awareness and preparing the necessities for
medical missions. Over the years I found parallels in
our lives. These children face life-altering issues they
are not able to fix themselves, just like me years ago.
The doctors who helped me drastically changed my life,
and knowing I could do the same for others furthered
my dedication. My drive has evolved into me founding
Caring Kids Connect, a pediatric support program
where aside from helping patients at a local childrens
hospital, I begin a chain reaction of good deeds in the
lives of the pre-teen children who work with me.
My RSD has inspired me to pursue a career in medical
physics with the goal to develop a non-invasive
procedure capable of removing redundant scar tissue.
Once diagnosed, my RSD was dramatically improved

by my month-long treatment at Boston Childrens

Hospitals Pediatric Pain Rehabilitation Center where I
was introduced to the power of a multidisciplinary
approach through innovative treatment combinations
devised by doctors from various disciplines. That
experience has influenced my histology studies, my
recent pursuits in neuroscience, and most importantly,
the design of my procedure. The possibilities for this
treatment are profound, as it has ramifications for
surgery and injury recovery and the capability to
transform the lives of (among others) athletes and
soldiers who will not have to experience the chronic,
negative effects of redundant scar tissue.
RSD does not dictate my life. It is merely a parallel
theme, a persistent presence on the sidelines as I tackle
imposing challenges in the field of engineering.