5 months after an injury, this softball player was back on the field, achieving her dream

Emma Hartung had everything she wanted right in front of her. She was a star catcher on Trinity Preparatory School's softball team, college teams were actively recruiting her and, at that moment, she was making a move to help the Saints on offense.

Then it all changed.

"I was stealing second, and I dove in," Hartung said. "I went back in and played the next inning. And then I felt something when I tried to hit the ball. And I tried running out of the batter's box. And I made it three steps before I physically couldn't run."

A week later, she learned she had completely torn her posterior cruciate ligament, or PCL, and was at risk of losing the game she loved.

"It's brought me lifetime friends and lifetime mentors, coaches and people that just help me every day on and off the field. And it's provided me with just a lot less stress," Hartung said.

The diagnosis raised immediate questions about recovery, whether surgery would be necessary and her dreams of playing college softball.

Before deciding on a treatment plan, Hartung and her family met with Michelle Mullins, MD, a sports medicine physician with Rothman Orthopaedics at AdventHealth Orthopedic Institute, who is part of a unique program that partners Rothman physicians with local high school sports teams to work directly with athletes.

"We had a really good conversation about just what her goals were and what her timeline was," Dr. Mullins said. "That's where it really comes down to shared decision-making, going through options with the parents and with Emma."

Mullins said many PCL tears can heal successfully without surgery, but only when patients, families and clinicians are committed to the same plan.

"Most of these tears do really well non-operatively," Mullins said. "But it takes a lot of buy-in from the patient and the family to make sure we're all on the same page with what is a reasonable timeline, what are our goals and expectations moving forward."

Hartung embraced that commitment through AdventHealth's system of connected, whole-person care.

"I met with Dr. Mullins at AdventHealth and then got into physical therapy," she said. "We did twice a week PT appointments and then every four weeks, (we had) checkups to see the progress to determine whether I would need surgery or not, which I never had to get surgery because of PT and just going consistently every week."

"I feel like I was never injured."

Throughout Hartung's recovery, Dr. Mullins said AdventHealth's physicians and rehabilitation teams stayed in close communication.

"If you stick within the AdventHealth imaging and PT, it's all very collaborative," Dr. Mullins said. "It's easy for us to see each other's information and to message or connect and just kind of keep tabs on how people are progressing."

As Hartung's rehabilitation progressed, she transitioned into the AdventHealth Sports Med & Rehab SportsPFX program, where the focus shifted from recovering from an injury to preparing to compete again.

"They set me up so well," Hartung said. "I finished PT on a Monday. And on Wednesday, I was with other athletes who haven't been injured ever, and I fit right in. They set me up so well."

That progression is intentional, said Russell Gaither, general manager of AdventHealth Sports Performance.

"We have a really good pathway of care, where we go from orthopedic care to physical therapy, and sport performance into return-to-play work, and then back to their teams."

Hartung was injured in June and was cleared to return in November.

Today, she says she no longer thinks about the injury when she steps onto the field.

"I am great," she said. "I feel like I was never injured."

The recovery also helped her reach one of her dreams.

"I'm committed to play softball at University of Connecticut, and I'll study psychology," she said.

Looking back, Hartung hopes other athletes facing injuries remember that setbacks do not define who they are or what they can accomplish.

"Everything happens for a reason," she said. "Your injury doesn't define you."

To learn more about AdventHealth's Sports Performance programs click click here.