Playtime injuries are a rite of passage for most toddlers.
This past May, Patrick face-planted onto the ground in true toddler fashion, and landed on his arm, leaving it broken. His story also comes full circle because his mom, Molly, was also treated at Connecticut Children’s by the same doctor, 20-some-odd years ago.
“We knew something wasn’t right by the way he was holding his arm.”
It was Memorial Day weekend, and the family of four was getting ready to head up to Boston to visit Molly’s sister. Patrick and his dad, Dan, had just begun to take Mia, the family dog, out for a walk when—bam! Patrick had an epic toddler fall on the driveway. There were some tears, but not a whole lot of crying. What got Molly, though, was something else: “We knew something wasn’t right by the way he was holding his arm.”
Next stop: Connecticut Children’s Pediatric Urgent Care in Farmington, CT. Molly had an instinct Patrick’s arm might have been broken, so right away, she knew they needed to head to a place that was 100% dedicated to kids.
Pediatric urgent care: walk right in!
Luckily, Connecticut Children’s offers evening and weekend urgent care hours, and families can walk right in and even save their spot online. And because most kids who break bones need follow-up care, the urgent care team helps arrange that, too, to make life a little easier.
Sure enough, the X-ray showed a clear break in Patrick’s arm. He went home with a temporary splint and sling for a couple of days until his next appointment in Glastonbury, CT with Philip Mack, MD, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon.
Why is it important for kids to see pediatric orthopedic doctors?
Kids have open growth plates until they’re in their 20s, and pediatric orthopedic specialists at Connecticut Children’s are trained in treating only kids, all the time. Kids require the expertise of a team who not only knows kids, but also what it means to have and treat broken bones around open growth plates.
Luckily, for Patrick, Dr. Mack observed the break was near the elbow joint, but did not hit any growth plates, so surgery was not necessary. All Patrick needed was a cast for two weeks, a softer brace for another two weeks, and then an additional X-ray and follow-up appointment.
Molly recalls Patrick and Dr. Mack chatting it up in 100% kid speak about his favorite show, Go, Dog. Go, which chronicles the adventures of pups Tag and Scooch who solve problems together for the citizens of Pawston. Dr. Mack even printed Patrick a picture of the book cover when he returned with discharge paperwork for Molly.
“Connecticut Children’s really takes the time to get to know kids,” recalled Molly.
Trust your gut if you think your child has injured themselves. You know your child best. Go get checked; there is no shame in that because you’re better off knowing. There’s truly no better place for care. Once you’re in, you’re in at Connecticut Children’s.
Molly,
Patrick's Mom
Next stop: vacation, as planned!
Thanks to MyChart, Molly was able to communicate with Connecticut Children’s orthopedic team via messages and photos right before their trip, and also set up an appointment to check Patrick's cast. This provided peace of mind.
During this final visit, Janet Zahradnik, MD, Orthopedic Surgeon, thoroughly examined Patrick and determined he was good to take the cast off and resume normal toddler activities. Molly was nervous and relieved—but mostly grateful for a team that communicated with each other and with her seamlessly—from start to finish.
“Trust your gut if you think your child has injured themselves. You know your child best. Go get checked; there is no shame in that because you’re better off knowing. There’s truly no better place for care. Once you’re in, you’re in at Connecticut Children’s.”
Full circle: a trip down Memory Lane for Molly
For the Prospect family, breaking arms appears to be a “monumental thing.” Molly recalls her own arm-breaking experience as slightly more traumatic when, at 6 years old, she fell off the monkey bars at recess and landed on her elbow. She walked herself to the school nurse who called her mom. Soon, they headed to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford, before pediatric urgent care existed. She got the first surgery slot the next morning with Dr. Zahradnik.
In Molly’s case, her open growth plates were affected and as a result, she needed pins to keep everything in place. During her second surgery with Dr. Zahradnik, the pins came out. But she recalls needing many follow-ups because of the injury affecting her open growth plates.
“My own experience, even 23 years ago, reaffirmed my decision to bring my son to Connecticut Children’s,” Molly said. “I knew where to go and thought it would be special for Patrick to see the same orthopedic doctor I saw because I felt so comfortable in their care.”
Patrick is doing great! He’s back to exploring, running around, climbing on everything and being the best big brother he can be.
Need Pediatric Orthopedic Care?
We offer same-day appointments at our Hartford, Westport, Farmington, Glastonbury and Danbury specialty care locations, Monday – Friday from 8 am to 4:30 pm. These appointments are reserved for recent injuries only.
