have a wrestling horror story I want to share with everyone as I think it can help many kids..
My name is Lorri Jordan, we live in Knoxville, TN. We have three girls and one boy. Since we relocated to Knoxville, they have all started in the past two years to play sports, from basketball, soccer, gymnastics, football and wrestling.
My husband was a wrestler in high school, so when a wrestling flyer came out we offered it to our son and he said he would like to join and so did my nephew. They practice three times a week and have playoff games on Saturdays. This weekend was my sons second wrestling playoff game. My husband and brother-in-law travel for a living and were both on their way home Saturday, when the wrestling tournament was taking place, my son wrestled his first game and won, wrestled his second and lost so he was up for the third the tie breaker. He went out he did a hip toss, tossed the opponent to the ground, jumped down on him, he in turn flipped my son over and my son put his arm out to stop him at 9 years old my son weighs 130, he is a big kid, he is wrestling a kid 9 years old weighs 135 when he puts his arm out to stop him and 135 pound boy jumps on him, his arm snapped like a toothpick, the other kid jumped up and my son sat up with his arm facing the wrong direction, I let out a blood curling scream and began to run down the stairs to my son, at the same time, calling my husband who was just walking onto his last flight home, he answers to a hysterical screaming wife telling him his sons arm was facing the wrong direction! I run up to my son and his coach tells me he is a ER doctor, he is going to stabilize my sons arm and 911 has been called, there is people scattering everywhere, the whole place is up on their feet watching in horror, and people who were around were saying oh its just a dislocated elbow. The coach who is the ER doctor looks at me and tells me listen, Calvin has a severely damaged his arm, it is broken between his elbow and shoulder, it has damage to the skin, nerves, blood supply and he needs emergency surgery, I am a ER doctor, please listen to me. I couldn't hear anything other than surgery, my son crying and my husband on the phone asking me what was happening. The rescue squad came and they loaded my son on the gurney and as we were leaving the entire stadium was clapping, my son said are they glad to see me go? I couldn't stop crying - I said no honey they think you are a hero. The coach who was the ER doctor told the hospital staff to start the IV with morphine and we left. My husband refused to turn his phone off on the plane and the plane arrived 30 minutes early. He met me at the hospital just as we had finished with x-rays. Yes his arm was broke between his elbow and shoulder, the pieces had been broke at an angle and there was little pieces "floating" inside, they were going to prep him for surgery, 20 minutes later we are sitting with our girls waiting for the surgery to be over. He went through the surgery just fine, they put the bones back together with pins, cleaned it up, the skin, nerves and blood supply have been released from being crushed between two bones. He doesn't get a real cast for 12 days, they have to make sure no infection sets in, they are hoping to be able to get his feeling back in his hand, it is a blueish tint, he says it just kind of tingles, it is very painful, and very boring - he is 9 years old and for the next four weeks he has very limited things he can do, he is an honor roll student and loves school, he is completely torn up about not being able to go to school - the school will be having a home tutor come in so he can continue his grades. I am hoping to find a way to erase the horrible picture of my son's arm dangling the wrong direction and the look upon his face - a memory only parents who have had a child hurt can know the depth of.
So what's my morale of the story..quite a few. First why don't sports require a medical person to be at every game! If it wasn't for his coach who is a ER doctor - some person not meaning to do the wrong thing but does could have moved his arm and caused even more damage! What if a child breaks his neck and a coach or helper moves them, its over with forever! Second, if you don't know what is wrong with someone, don't say a thing!! I think that makes me the angriest, the thought that people were blowing it off as a dislocated elbow. Third, make sure as a parent you know all the rules of a sport, buy all the appropriate gear and more, and make sure your child knows what this sport really involves, what can happen, no we can't put them in bubble wrap but they should know injuries do have consequences. Lastly, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER leave your child at practice or a game alone. I see parents coming and going to practice and to games, the thought of my son being all alone when something that traumatic happened sends chills down my spine but yet I see it all the time, if as a parent you can't give 100% to that child or a family member can't be at every practice or game, don't sign them up. PLAIN A SIMPLE. We never have or never will leave any of our children at any sport practice or game!
My nephew wrestled that evening, my sister-in-law was a bag of nerves and I couldn't stop crying. As my nephew was leaving after his match they called me to tell me that he was ok, he had lost but was ok and they would be coming to the hospital to see Calvin. In the background I could hear an ambulance, my sister-in-law told me another kid had got injured and was having seizures. THIS SPORT AS MY SON SAYS STINKS!
