East Central Reporter

Carle Richland Memorial Hospital issued the following announcement on July 2.

Participation in sports can have many benefits. Sports help promote drive and ambition, while also teaching discipline, patience, and the importance of teamwork.

So, imagine how it would feel to suffer an injury that faces the possibility of having those opportunities taken away.

Student athletes, Luke Colwell and Jesika Ochs, are two people to have faced that very dilemma.

Luke Colwell, 13, attending St. Joseph Catholic School, plays center on the school basketball team and also plays right and defensive tackle in Olney Jr. Pro Football, a non-school sanctioned football program in Olney, IL.

In May of 2017, Colwell was helping his family with a home improvement project whenever he fell six feet off of a ladder, causing him to fracture his left ankle.

After visiting the emergency room, Colwell was referred to the office of Carle Richland Memorial Hospital Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Prashanth Anand where he learned that he had broken his tibia and his fibula, two bones that support the leg. Colwell also suffered from a growth plate fracture, calling for him to have a surgical plate and four screws implanted in order to hold everything in place.

In addition to this, Colwell attended physical therapy which he says, “Helped a lot.”

Like Colwell, another Richland County student athlete also received an injury requiring her to seek Dr. Anand’s services as well.

Jesika Ochs, 17, is a Senior at Richland County High School who has been playing girls softball throughout her entire high school career.

During her freshman year, Ochs was attending one of her softball practices when she felt her knee shift and collapse from under her.

Like Colwell, Ochs decided to seek the services of Dr. Anand for treatment where, after an MRI, learned that she had torn her ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and her meniscus, the cartilage between the thigh and shin bones.

Because Ochs was so adamant about returning to softball, Dr. Anand’s method of treatment for her was to replace and reconstruct a new ligament grafted out of Ochs’ hamstring. Anand then implanted some screws in her shinbone to help hold her new ACL in place until they were ready to be removed.

Overall, Colwell and Ochs said they both received great care from Dr. Anand and could not say enough good things about him.

Both liked how personable Dr. Anand was when it came to their care.

“He was the type of person who would be like, ‘Okay, this is what we’re going to do, and this is how we’re going to do it’,” Ochs said.

“I just think he’s a really nice person. He’s just an overall really nice guy.”

Colwell’s mother, Cheryl, said, “[Dr. Anand] was always really good at explaining things to us. He would always come in and talk to Luke and ask him how he felt and how he was doing.”

Anand said that his method of keeping patients informed is something that he believes is important and is somewhat of a motto that he goes by.

“The way I practice is I go by informed decision making,” Anand says. “I talk to my patients and I give them all of the options and we go from there. You never tell the patient: ‘This is the only option.’”

Dr. Anand also said that his mission when treating athletes is very specific.

“Our goal is to get them back to their pre-injury level,” Anand said. “Whatever they used to do before, we want them to get back to that same level.”

Dr. Anand firmly believes that the work that he and his colleagues at Carle Richland Memorial Hospital are doing is important and beneficial to the community.

“With the help of the other therapists and other departments…we are able to manage most of the injuries locally,” said Anand. “I think that’s a good benefit to the community.”

“We also have athletic trainers here who cover some of our games and are able to manage any injuries on the field.”

Cheryl is also very thankful for the level of care that Carle Richland Memorial Hospital is able to provide.

“I have a lot of confidence when I know walking through those doors that myself or my family is going to get the care that they need,” said Cheryl.

Ochs said that if it weren’t for the care she received, things would have been a lot different.

“I definitely don’t think I would still be playing softball,” Ochs said.

After being treated by Dr. Anand, Colwell’s dream is to one day play college football at the University of Notre Dame.

While Ochs, due to the physical therapy she received at the Outpatient Rehabilitation Services Center after her surgery, has become inspired to attend the University of Evansville to study within their physical therapy program.

“I am glad that [Luke and Jesika] are doing well,” Anand said. “And I just hope to continue providing my services here and helping [more] patients.”

To learn more about Orthopedic care and all that Carle Richland Memorial Hospital has to offer, please contact your healthcare provider or learn more online.

Original source can be found here.

Source: Carle Richland Memorial Hospital