For as long as she can remember, there’s nothing Makayla Granger loved more than having a basketball in her hands. That’s why the Batesville resident was devastated when a knee injury sidelined her from the game this past March.

“I was playing AAU basketball when I jumped to steal the ball from my opponent,” said Makayla. “When I landed, I felt my knee buckle and heard it pop. I fell to the ground and wasn’t able to walk off the court without help.”

Makayla had an MRI on her knee and soon after followed up with Orthopaedic Surgeon William McDonald, MD who confirmed she had ruptured her ACL and would need surgery to repair it.

“I had a hunch I had torn my ACL, but it was still hard to hear those words out loud,” said Makayla. “My heart dropped at the thought of not being able to play basketball. Dr. McDonald was confident and reassuring. He promised me I’d be able to make a full recovery.”

Fortunately for Makayla, the ACL tear was small enough it could be repaired with arthroscopic surgery. This procedure allows the surgeon to repair the knee through small incisions rather than the larger incision needed for open surgery. For patients, arthroscopic surgeries result in less pain after surgery, a faster healing time and lower infection rates.

Two days after surgery, Makayla was already walking without crutches, and by the end of the week, she started physical therapy at MMH’s Rehab Center.

“My physical therapists are so good at what they do,” said Makayla. “I got to know them well. We joked around, but when it was time to work, they pushed me to work hard. When my sessions got tough, I told myself it’s all going to help in the long run.”

Today, Makayla is well on her way to making a full recovery so she can play high school basketball this fall. Of course, her plans don’t stop there.

“My dream is to play in college,” she said. “This injury is only making me stronger. Just like playing sports, so much of my recovery has been a mental game. It’s taught me to dig deep, work hard and stay positive.”