Injuries in sports can be the biggest detriment to any team or any player. In a moment, a whole season can come to an end in an instant. Above missing time, the road to recovery is a fight on and off the field for athletes. Jackson Calhoun, junior at FHN, has firsthand experience, who underwent hip surgery this summer to treat a hematoma that had developed following an injury he sustained in a summer league game.

“I went up for a chase down block and the other guy pump faked,” Calhoun said. “We kind of collided in the air, I ended up horizontal and I fell on my hip. I knew something was wrong right away and I asked my coach to pull me from the game right after I was able to stand up but it was so hard to walk after, I struggled to even make it to the bench.”

The frightening experience certainly didn’t end there for Calhoun, as at that time, he still did not know what the injury was, nor its significance. In the moment, adrenaline did away with some of his pain. This soon changed, as when Calhoun returned home, he realized that this was not a small injury.

“I didn’t know what type of pain I was going through really until I got home,” Calhoun said. “I was laying in bed until I started having spasms around the area where I fell. They got worse as time went on, it was some of the worst pain I had ever experienced.”

Calhoun and his parents then rushed to the Emergency Room, where they then learned the gravity of the situation. He was rushed into emergency surgery to treat his hip as soon as possible. A hematoma, or a severe bruise, causes blood to collect and pool under the skin. In his situation, it was much more threatening.

“I was at risk of not being able to use the leg anymore.” Calhoun said. “Due to how long I had waited and the blood that had collected on my hip, the doctors had to act quickly for sure. There was also a risk of infection so the surgeons had to work around that.”

After a successful surgery, Calhoun’s road to recovery started.  For athletes, a common misconception is that during the healing process, they’re just resting. This is far from the truth, as many athletes are working even harder when recovering than their normal training regimen. For Calhoun, this is no different. Right after surgery, Calhoun was bedridden for a week, but soon after that, he got right to work. During his recovery process, with gradual build up, Calhoun would have physical therapy twice a week in addition to individualized training to keep his skills sharp.

“Jackson definitely grew a lot from the injury,” FHN head coach Larry Green said. “I think players can see the game differently after having to work to get back on the floor and that’s the case with Jackson for sure.”

Through all adversity he faced, Calhoun made a full recovery. After missing the first four games of the season, Calhoun made his return to basketball against Parkway South on Dec. 12, nearly six months removed from his June 14 surgery. After returning, Calhoun brought a consistent leader to a team chalked full of underclassmen that they needed. In less than half a year, Calhoun went from potentially losing the ability to walk, to returning to the sport he loves.

“I’m so proud of all the work he put in throughout the whole process,” Michelle Calhoun, Jackson’s mom, said. “He had a goal to get back on the court as soon as possible from the very beginning and I’m so happy to see him back doing what he loves.”

This story was originally published on FHNtoday.com on March 1, 2024.