Shriners Children's Providers Draw Inspiration From Time as Young Athletes

Ben Wilson, M.D., knows what it is like to be sidelined by a sports injury. As a high school- and college-level athlete, he sustained shoulder and wrist injuries that eventually required surgery. Dr. Wilson uses these experiences with injuries as a young athlete to amplify his care for patients as an orthopedic surgeon at Shriners Children’s Lexington.

“I think being an athlete myself helps me relate to my patients,” Dr. Wilson said. “I think a lot of times when an athlete comes in with an injury, it’s the first time they’ve been in a medical setting. They’ve gone from having full control and being able to do anything they want to do with their bodies, and now it’s failed them somehow. I think that’s a huge deal for those kids.”

Dr. Wilson is one of many individuals providing care for children with sports injuries at Shriners Children’s locations across the globe, and just like Dr. Wilson, many of these providers can relate directly to their patients’ experiences.

Kelsey Davidson, M.D., a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Shriners Children’s Chicago, was a competitive figure skater, but also enjoyed dancing jazz and ballet, and cross-country skiing with her family while growing up. During her figure skating career, Dr. Davidson went through two periods in which she needed to take time off from skating to treat spondylolysis, a stress fracture in the spine.

“I remember the disappointment of not being able to skate and compete during that time, but I found it helpful to use the extra free time as an opportunity to get stronger and come back a better skater than before,” she said.

Today, Dr. Davidson reflects on those experiences as she provides care for other injured athletes. She recalls still being at the skating rink, watching her friends perform and practice, wishing she could be back on the ice.

“I try to use these experiences to empathize with my patients when I can see how sad they are having to deal with an injury taking them away from their sport,” she said. “I encourage them to stay involved in the sport and with their friends during this time so they don’t feel the extra loss of friendship and identity.”