TBPI inspirational student athlete

[Christopher]

http://www.app.com/article/20120505/NJS ... nt-athlete

Red Bank Catholic's Anderson an inspirational student athlete

The only thing keeping Red Bank Catholic
senior attackman Ryan Anderson from a
lacrosse field right now is mononucleosis
and he’s expecting clearance from his
doctor to resume playing soon.



About a year and eight months ago,
Anderson, then 16, wasn’t sure he would
play sports again, nevertheless his spring
sport of lacrosse, after suffering a
Traumatic Brachial Plexus injury during a
football scrimmage on Sept. 1, 2010 at
Manasquan High School.

“It was the second kickoff. I ran down the
field and this big hole opened up and the
running back was coming right through the
hole with the ball. I tackled him and my
legs were planted at the time and all the
energy went into my shoulders,” Ryan
Anderson said. “My right shoulder
compressed too far down and popped five
nerves out of my spinal cord and paralyzed
my right arm from the shoulder down. I
knew something was wrong immediately
because as soon as I hit the ground, it felt
like my shoulder had burst into flames.”

The injury

According to New York University’s Langone
Medical Center’s Department of
Neurosurgery’s website, Anderson’s injury
was defined as: “The brachial plexus
(brachial means arm and plexus mean
communication or meeting point) refers to
the nerves that exit the cervical spine and
pass down to the shoulder and arm. Five
major nerves comprise the brachial plexus: C
5, C6, C7, C8, and T1 (C refers to
cervical [or neck] and T refers to thorax [or
chest]). These nerve pass under the skin in
the neck and axilla, where they are
vulnerable to injury. When the neck and
arm are forced away from each other
during trauma (e.g., car accidents,
motorcycle accidents, falls) the brachial
plexus nerves can be stretched or torn
apart. If the force is severe, these nerves
can even be pulled away from the spinal
cord where they originate. Damage to
these nerves causes pain, numbness, and
weakness in the shoulder, arm, and hand.
The pain can be quite severe, and is often
described at burning, pins and needles, or
crushing. In general, the C5 nerve controls
the rotator cuff muscles and shoulder
function, C6 controls flexing the arm at the
elbow, C7 partially controls the triceps and
wrist flexion, and C8/T1 controls hand
movements.”

One of Ryan’s friends, senior Doug
Whitlock, who plays football and lacrosse at
Red Bank Catholic, was right next to him
during that kickoff play.

“It was a good four seconds after the ball
was kicked and Ryan ran into the kid at full
speed. Ryan flew backward and the kid
also flew backward,” Whitlock said. “After it
happened, all I could hear was Ryan
screaming that he couldn’t feel his arm and
he couldn’t feel the right side of his body.”

Whitlock said the training staff rushed over
to attend to Ryan after the injury and later
Ryan was transported to the hospital by an
ambulance.

Ryan’s parents Suzanne and Kenneth Sr.
were not at the scrimmage when Ryan got
hurt but thanks to technology found out
very quickly.

“I had got a call from the football staff but I
was on my way out of my office and the call
went to voicemail,” Suzanne Anderson said.
“One of the players on the football team,
texted my middle son Patrick, who then
called my husband Kenneth Sr. and that’s
how we found out about Ryan’s injury.”

Suzanne said that Wednesday afternoon on
Sept. 1 2010, one of the assistant football
coaches met the family at the hospital.
Later at the hospital the emergency room
doctor’s liaison said there were no
fractures but they were running more tests.

“We were eventually told that he had a
Traumatic Brachial Plexus injury,” Suzanne
Anderson said. “There was no talk at that
moment about playing sports again.”

The diagnosis

The Andersons did their research about
traumatic brachial plexus injuries and were
set to have surgery in December 2010 at
the Hospital for Special Surgery in New
York City, which was recommend by a local
orthopedic doctor. The surgery was
described as a 14-hour procedure and the
success of it wouldn’t be known for
months, if not years.

Then another option came into the picture
as the Andersons found out about the Mayo
Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and a visit to
the Mayo Clinic was scheduled just before
Christmas 2010.

“Originally, we were going to have the
surgery done at the Hospital for Special
Surgery in New York City but then we found
out about the Mayo Clinic,” Ryan Anderson
said. “It turned out that my dad’s buddy
knew a guy who had the same injury as me
and he said to go to the Mayo Clinic to have
the surgery. That was probably the best
choice I made.”


Ryan eventually had two major surgeries
first in February 2011 and then again in
April 2011 that cost about $150,000
according to Suzanne Anderson. The
surgery Ryan had is called a “Double
Gracilis Free Muscle Transfer” and Mayo
Clinic’s website described it as a two-
staged procedure: “In stage I, the first
gracilis transfer, powered by the spinal
accessory nerve, restores elbow flexion
and finger extension. In stage II, a second
gracilis transfer, powered by intercostal
motor nerves, expands function to include
finger and thumb flexion (grasp).”

“The Mayo Clinic told us before the
surgeries that it would be 18 months
before Ryan gets elbow flexion back and
three years before he gets finger flexion
back,” Suzanne Anderson said. “He’s
definitely ahead of the curve.”

The recovery

The decision to have the surgeries at the
Mayo Clinic was all up to Ryan Anderson.

“After my surgeries it took about six weeks
before I could actually pick up a lacrosse
stick again,” Ryan Anderson said. “Then
once I got my doctors out in Minnesota to
clear me, I was out playing lacrosse again.”

The Mayo Clinic doctors that Ryan is
referring to are the three-person “dream
team” as his mother calls them of
Alexander Y. Shin, M.D, Allen T. Bishop, M.
D. and Robert J. Spinner, M.D. In addition
to the trio, his mother also credits his local
doctor, Dr. Harry A. Bade of Professional
Orthopaedic Associates for their combining
efforts that gave her son a chance to play
sports again.

“I’m naturally left-handed so I can still write
and draw. I can still do almost everything I u
se to do before the injury,” Ryan
Anderson said. “It takes a little adapting to
one hand and I figure things out as I go
along.”

Ryan, the youngest of Suzanne and
Kenneth Sr’s three sons which also include
Kenneth Jr., 22, and Patrick, 20, got
clearance to resume playing lacrosse about
two weeks before the spring season
started, according to Red Bank Catholic
boys lacrosse coach Ryan Eichner.

“Ryan played junior varsity lacrosse as a
freshman and he was a junior varsity and v
arsity lacrosse player his sophomore
year,” Eichner said. “He was definitely a
potential starter for us for his junior year
before his injury.”

Ryan is a tri-captain, which was voted on
by his teammates, this season for the
Caseys. Eichner describes him as the fourth
attackman on the team, basically he’s the
first attackman off the bench. He played in
the team’s first four games and he has
scored one goal this season before his
getting Mononucleosis.

Ryan is scheduled to see his doctor this
week about his Mononucleosis and hopes
he’ll get clearance to resume playing
lacrosse in time for Red Bank Catholic’s
postseason run. His lacrosse teammates,
his coaching staff and his family are glad to
see him playing lacrosse again because
about 20 months ago he suffered an injury
that changed his life.

“My husband and I pray every day that
Ryan didn’t break his neck and we didn’t
have to bury him,” Suzanne Anderson said.
“He realizes how lucky he was that day.”

[damheather27]

that is great news my son also had a tbp injury during his senior year in football in 09 so i understand exactly what you are going through had the same surgeries but so far nothing i pray everyday that he gets something back i wish your son all the luck in his sport playing in the future

[Master DIVER TOM]

Chris you are great in timing your Finds are Awesome-!!

You know I was thinking about Heather's post and wondered
What does nothing yet mean??? is the arm and hand dead still ??
Interesting things to build on the straight of the limitation your left with in life You learn to adapt, it teach you Determination by small steps in trying. Its really Crazy in which you learn to adapt by gain time and giving your self SLACK to Adapt
Heather please post again as need
Mr positive , the caveman with erbs r Nemo the diver
Staying positive is a quest to overcome by the smallest try to adapt in life;)
Hope this helps????
Tom

[damheather27]

hi chris my son has always had use of his hand he can grasp but its not like it was before the injury but to lift his arm still nothing we went to the drs in april and they said after all the surgeries he had done what he has now is what will be with the rest of his life the only thing left is to fuse his shoulder my son has been very depressed after that news but i did tell him miracles happen all he wants to do is throw a football im trying to get him to go talk to some one but no luck yet not sure what to do now if there might be another solution after 13 nerve grafts and a ulnar transfer is there anything else left to do he still goes to physical therapy but not sure if he ll continue we thought his bicep was coming back but no luck and his deltiod nothing either

[ArmStrong]

Being depressed is a part of this injury probably for most of us,this is alot to deal with and when the dr.s are saying nothing else can be done it can really take the wind out of ones sail.That doesn't mean you should give up.I know for me it took sometime before I was ready to open up and talk to anyone about what/how I was feeling mainly because I didn't feel like anyone in my immediate circle could truly understand(thank God for UBPN!).Most of the bad things that happen in life are temporary,we lose a job we find another one,we get our heart broken we love again,it's the permanent things that are hardest to deal with.I'm not a parent but I know that when someone we love is hurting all we want to do is fix it,well somethings can't be fixed and we just have to let the person going through it do so at their own pace and on their own terms.Continue to be supportive but don't push too hard,sometimes we just need to be left to ourselves,we may never "get over it" but we can "get through it".Best wishes and goodluck.

[jmar]

armstrong, glad to hear you are doing so well. keep up the good work

[Master DIVER TOM]

Hi Guys
Armstrong was 100% percent right But it takes time in life to gain a positive like this so is the path to adapt, I think that keeps depression at bay
Reading post here make me think not knowing there was treatments may of been a good thing I am clueless on why its so hard to find a doctor in time and the right one for the injuries. No referral leaving the Emergency room that just and then you fall into depression Live that life to
But on the positive side there things like this to help you think more about doing things one hand than the depression your in???
I never could use a knife and folk together I also got depress because my mom use to cut food up. This stop to when I taught my self that you could just makes samuwich(spelled wrong) with the the meat that needs cutting up or eat chicken or ribs. Problem solved
Another one would be forget about shirts you need to tuck in
I read alot of post that seem ware some are depressive because they lack direction to adapt at first I add others here really could help by our life experience to adapt All you really need to do is post what you are having trouble with??
It maybe the 1st step or moving forward to try to adapt it really does work out in lifes trys just ask the caveman with erbs or so many others post here with there life with limiation

I know mr positive
Tom

[djk]

christopher, good read. thanks for posting it.

[suzannesteam]

Oh my gosh Chris! Thank you so much for posting Ryan’s story. I have to share with all of you the great things that have come from that one article. One, so many people, friends, teachers, classmates even family have come forward and admitted to us that they had no idea the seriousness of Ryan’s injury and that the article was so informative. Believe me when I tell you that we gave the reporter so much information, but he did well with the space provided. Two, the article really inspired Ryan to keep moving forward, he still has a great attitude. Three, strangers are reaching out to Ryan for various things, like jobs, scholarships, and just to speak to him and meet him. And I have to add, US Lacrosse just honored him with the Bob Scott Award. See below.

BALTIMORE, May 24, 2012 – US Lacrosse today announced the creation of the Bob Scott Award, to be given to one boys’ high school senior in each US Lacrosse Area across the country. The recipients from each area will be announced in July. The Bob Scott Award recognizes a high school senior player http://www.uslacrosse.org/TopNav/Newsan ... Award.aspx

Ryan’s lacrosse coach said that in the coaches’ meeting for awards, that it was unanimous that Ryan receives this award. Ryan was very humbled last night at the lacrosse banquet upon getting the news. Ryan’s dad and I were just thrilled that someone with his issues was recognized for his dedication and inspiration through this whole process of injury to recovery. It has been a long road and never did we question Ryan’s belief and capability to play lacrosse again. I can only hope that he inspires those that need that extra push whether they are a TBPI person or anyone with a challenge.

Best to All!
Ryan's mom Suzanne

[alheim]

Suzanne, nice to read Ryan's story! I'm also from the Manasquan area (Belmar, now living in NYC). About 7 years older than Ryan. Cheers!

Alex