Meet Ruthie
Age 15, from Alexandria, IN
Enjoys working with her horses, 4H and spending time with friends
Injury: left wrist
CIO Provider/Treatment: Dr. Brian Camilleri, left wrist surgery
Ruthie’s Story
In May 2018, Ruthie and her friend decided to take a ride on her 4-wheeler to a nearby creek. On the way, Ruthie turned to talk to her friend and her hands followed her eyes, turning the handle bars right into a tree. “We were probably going 30+ mph!” Ruthie said. “I took most of the blunt force and my wrist was badly broken. I was thankful my friend was okay – it could have been much worse.”
After spending the evening in a nearby ER, they were told to follow up with Ortho the next day. Ruthie’s family had been to Central Indiana Orthopedics in the past, so they followed up at CIO’s Walk-In Clinic the next morning and saw Dr. Jones. Dr. Jones explained the type of surgery Ruthie needed – permanent metal plates in her wrist – and referred her to see Dr. Camilleri. Ruthie’s mom, Denise, explained, “When I heard Dr. Camilleri would be doing the surgery, I began doing my research on him. I found a video interview from 2017 and he said, ‘If a kid gets hurt, I’m here to help them out. And that’s how you build a practice – by showing a community that you’ll take good care of whoever comes in to see you.’” Denise continued, “That’s when I knew I could trust Dr. Camilleri with Ruthie and felt confident in him taking care of my daughter.”
After surgery on June 1, Ruthie’s healing improved each day. Ruthie has been showing horses in 4H for four years and had made a lot of goals that year – one being competing in the Madison County Horse & Pony Royalty Contest, which was to occur on June 9. Not only did she compete just 8 days after surgery, but she won and was crowned Queen! Ruthie’s other 4H accomplishments included winning Grand Champion in Needlecraft, which her Physical Therapists, Debbie & Alli, pushed her to do because it was excellent therapy while her wrist healed.
Ruthie was also very involved with her horses during her recovery processes. “Horses are very therapeutic and have become more popular in helping people recover from serious injuries, PTSD, and more,” Ruthie shared. For the past year, Ruthie has been attending National Horsemanship Clinics featuring Pat Parelli professionals. Pat Parelli is well-known in the horse world and developed these clinics to focus on safety and developing a personal, trusting relationship with horses. Ruthie had the opportunity to meet him about a month before her accident. “Had it not been for these clinics and what Pat Parelli has taught me, I would not have been able to remain a part of the 4H Horse and Pony program this year, which I believe was essential to my recovery process,” Ruthie said.
At Ruthie’s last visit with Dr. Camilleri, she had a BIG surprise. “I wanted thank CIO in a way they would remember, so I brought my pony, Evie, to show Dr. Camilleri that when I won, they won,” Ruthie shared. “Without the help of Dr. Camilleri, Debbie, Alli and Pat Parelli, these accomplishments would not be reality – I will be forever thankful to you all!”