Tatum’s story: Fueling her recovery from an ACL injury with optimism and hard work

In January of 2025, when 17-year-old Tatum took off to steal second base in a high-school softball scrimmage, she had to make a split-second decision. She could either quickly pivot or run smack into the second baseman. Choosing to avoid a collision, Tatum took a leaping step sideways and heard a pop in her knee.

“I instantly knew something was wrong. But I didn’t know what,” she said.

Tatum fell to the turf. But she quickly managed to get up, likely because of all the adrenaline coursing through her body. Then, two seconds later, she collapsed and her whole leg felt numb.

“I had to be carried off the field. And four different athletic trainers from a few different high schools came running over to help me,” said Tatum.

Thinking she was OK

The home team trainers and her division 5A coaches immediately performed a hands-on test called the Lachman’s test, where you stabilize the thigh bone and try to shift the shin bone forward.

If the tibia moves forward, it can be a sign that the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is no longer stabilizing the knee. Tatum’s tibia did not move.

“Sometimes, with an athletic, muscular kid like Tatum, the tibia doesn’t move forward because the musculature helps stabilize it. So that’s why we order an MRI,” said Dustin Loveland, M.D., Surgical Director and Chief of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at Children’s Health Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine.

Tatum left the scrimmage thinking her knee was going to be OK.

“I felt OK. I’d passed the Lachman’s test. And there wasn’t any inflammation,” said Tatum.

Four days later, Tatum and her parents met with Dr. Loveland, who’d been highly recommended by other families they knew. They sat down to review the results of the MRI, which they fully expected to be “just fine.”

But the MRI revealed that Tatum's ACL was completely torn.

Tatum and her parents were shocked. “I felt lost and I didn’t want to accept the news,” recalled Tatum.

A need for surgical reconstruction of her ACL

Dr. Loveland clearly and calmly explained the need for surgery to reconstruct Tatum’s ACL – and doing it soon – so Tatum could get back on the softball field as quickly as possible.

“At the time, it felt a little rushed to have surgery in just 3 weeks. But looking back, I’m so happy I did it when I did,” said Tatum.

Dr. Loveland knows it can feel like an eternity for young athletes to get back to their sport.

“I always tell kids that they can wait. But when they do, they often end up regretting it,” he said.

Tatum’s ACL reconstruction surgery went smoothly. It included a special, additional technique called lateral extra articular tenodesis (LET). LET has been proven to enhance knee stability and decrease re-injury rates in young, high-level athletes.

Tatum went home just an hour post-surgery and started physical therapy (PT) just 3 days later.

Starting rehabilitation right after surgery

Tatum had already met her physical therapist before surgery – just as all Children’s Health athletes do – to help them be as physically and mentally prepared as possible.

“We don’t mess around in terms of getting right to the hard, necessary work of rehabilitation," said Benjamin Gloff, PT, DPT, SCS at Children’s Health Andrews Institute.

Tatum remembers her first few weeks of rehab as “stagnant,” with lots of repetition.

“It’s frustrating when you know what you're supposed to do in your head, but you can’t make your body do it,” said Tatum.

Gloff agreed that the first few weeks are typically the toughest – and not just physically.

Tatum came to Children’s Health Andrews Institute Plano for PT 5 to 6 times a week during the first 4 months, then she dropped down to 3 to 4 times weekly. Now, at 6 months post-surgery, she sees Gloff and Alexander Lopez, MS, LAT, ATC, CES, Athletic Trainer at Children’s Health Andrews Institute, just 2 times a week. When offered the chance to continue her care closer to home, Tatum said she “couldn’t leave Alex and Ben” – a testament to the strong bond she built with her care team.

Making the hard work fun

For Gloff and Lopez, Tatum has been a wonderful patient to work with and get to know.

“Tatum has this infectious, positive, caring, bubbly personality that’s invested in relationships. She’s always smiling and asking about everybody’s weekend,” said Gloff.

In the early days, Tatum’s rehab incorporated blood flow restriction to help build strength and power. About three months post-surgery, she began to use the anti-gravity treadmill (AlterG). This special treadmill allowed her to run with decreased weight on her lower body because of the air pressure it uses to “lift” her up – and the way it helps gradually introduce impact over time, versus all at once. More recently, she’s been focused on strength training in the weight room and softball-specific skills work, like pivoting and changing direction.

All the athletes that come to Children’s Health Andrews Institute are surrounded by other young, amazing athletes who help motivate and inspire them and have similar goals. And they really bond and form a community.

“I like to pump up the tunes and bust out a few dance moves,” said Lopez. “We joke together, we work out alongside them and we make rehab fun. And after they’re cleared to play, we go and watch their games.”

On days when Tatum lacked energy or motivation, she fed off encouragement from Lopez and Gloff.

Tatum’s recovery is on track for her to return to play sometime in November 2025.

Nurturing her identity beyond softball

Tatum doesn’t deny she’s excited to return to the field. And now she has a lot more knowledge about proper movement patterns, including how to train and further protect herself from potential future injuries. But her injury has also given her time to reflect on who she is – beyond softball.

During recovery, she’s prioritized hanging out with friends, going on long walks and watching movies. She’s also drawn inspiration from books like Rise: My Story by Lindsey Vonn (a memoir about the most decorated female skier of all time) and True Grit and Grace: Turning Tragedy Into Triumph by Amberly Lago (a memoir about healing after a devastating motorcycle accident).

Tatum has plans to go to a Southeastern Conference (SEC) school for college, rush a sorority and play intramural softball. She’s thinking about studying business marketing or maybe even kinesiology because she’s seen “so much joy in what PTs do.”

For Gloff, it’s always a pleasure to have lots of young athletes say they want to become PTs – and to write letters of recommendation for them. “They witness how fun and fulfilling it can be to help people recover from injury, emerge stronger and learn something about themselves along the way,” said Gloff.

Learn more

At Children’s Health Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, we make it easy for young athletes to get the care they need – with same-day walk-in visits for injuries or next-day appointments. Our sport-specific rehab programs are designed to be consistent and personalized, so your child works with the same PT and athletic trainer at nearly every visit, building trust along the way. With convenient locations in Plano, Frisco, Prosper and Fairview, we’re here to provide expert care in facilities created just for young athletes.

Discover resources on injury prevention, training and nutrition for young athletes and explore sport-specific safety tips.