乐播传媒

Joey: Spiral Fracture of the Femur

Joey, a 乐播传媒 patient with Spiral Fracture of the Femur

Two-year-old Joey was running around with the family dog when his mother Lynn saw his leg twist under him. Her little boy fell to the floor and screamed. 鈥淚 had never heard a sound like that before,鈥 remembers Lynn. 鈥淛oey was unable to stand and clearly in excruciating pain.鈥 Lynn and her husband, Joe, rushed their son to a community hospital where he was diagnosed with a spiral fracture of the femur (thighbone). 鈥淲e quickly realized that they were simply not equipped to deal with his situation,鈥 says Lynn.

An emergency transport team was summoned from 乐播传媒 Children鈥檚 Hospital, Delaware, in Wilmingon, Del. When the ambulance arrived at the hospital, a team headed by Kirk W. Dabney, MD, went into action, accurately evaluating his condition and developing a treatment plan. Joey was anesthetized so the fracture could be aligned for healing and was placed in a 鈥渟pica鈥 body cast that extended from his shoulders to the ankle of his broken leg and the knee of the other leg. 鈥淲hen he woke up, Joey had painful muscle spasms and was very frightened,鈥 says his mother. 鈥淲e stayed with him the whole night to help him be less anxious.鈥

鈥淭he doctors were really incredible,鈥 says Lynn. 鈥淓verything happened just the way they said it would.鈥 The hospital loaned a car seat designed to accommodate Joey鈥檚 cast. 鈥淲e were so grateful for that,鈥 recalls Lynn. 鈥淥nce we got home, Joey had to adjust to a new existence. He had been an active toddler and being immobilized was very difficult. Joey quickly learned to use his words to communicate. He came to see his cast as a safe place and learned to scoot himself across the floor.鈥

The family came back to the hospital each week to check on the healing process. 鈥淎t one point, Dr. Dabney was not happy with the alignment of the bone, so he put Joey in a new cast,鈥 says Lynn. Finally, after seven weeks, Joey was freed from the cast and he was fully healed.

鈥淔amilies in this area need to realize what a wonderful resource they have right in their own backyards,鈥 marvels Lynn. 鈥淚鈥檒l always come here when Joey needs care.鈥