Allie Rogers has played softball since age six. The 14-year-old from Smithfield is a power hitter and pitcher on the junior varsity team at Nansemond Suffolk Academy. But when Allie was eleven, she received a diagnosis that would change her life forever.

In March 2021, Allie was playing with her younger brother when she slipped and fell. At the time, she felt some back pain, but didn’t think much of it. Allie often had back pain from pitching, and would treat it with ice, heat, and rest.

At softball practice, Allie noticed more pain when swinging the bat, but she was reluctant to admit something was wrong. Her mom, Chrystal, noticed the tears in her eyes and took Allie to CHKD’s Urgent Care at Tech Center, suspecting a muscle injury from her previous fall.

However, imaging revealed Allie had scoliosis, a condition where the spine curves to the side. This wasn’t a complete surprise to Allie and her mom, as Allie’s grandmother also had the disorder. They were referred to the scoliosis and spine program at CHKD, where they met Dr. James Bennett, a pediatric orthopedic spine surgeon.

Dr. Bennett explained to the family that due to the severity of the S-curve of her spine, surgery was the best choice to prevent Allie’s scoliosis from getting worse. Since both of her parents were tall, Allie was likely to grow significantly in the next few years, which could increase the curvature of her spine, causing pain, limiting physical activities, and leading to a noticeable deformity.

Allie and her mom were shocked. What they had initially thought was a minor injury, then a minor condition, would now require major surgery before it worsened.

“I was absolutely floored. Before we went to see Dr. Bennett, we thought we would be able to do a brace and not have to do surgery,” Chrystal said.

Dr. Bennett explained that while they didn’t need to do surgery right away, it was very likely that Allie’s scoliosis would continue to progress, given the severity of her curvature and the fact that she was not yet at skeletal maturity.

“He was very open and honest with us,” Chrystal said. “He reassured us it was going to be okay.”

They decided to move ahead with surgery. On August 3, 2021, Allie underwent posterior spinal fusion surgery. Dr. Bennett and his team used metal implants and bone graft to straighten the spine and hold it in place. They were able to successfully correct both curves of Allie’s spine.

Allie followed the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol, designed to help reduce complications, better manage post-surgery pain, and get patients back to activities sooner.

“Allie got out of the surgery at 2 o'clock in the afternoon and by that evening they had her sitting up in the bed. The day after, she was in the chair, and the third day, before we went home, they had her do stairs,” Chrystal said. “It was mind-blowing to me that she could have a surgery like that and get back to being normal so quickly.”

While Allie was in physical therapy during her hospital stay, Chrystal noticed that Allie’s straightened spine made her about an inch and a half taller. Her posture had improved too.

As she recovered, Allie’s top priority was getting back in the game. The school year started only three weeks after her surgery, so Allie walked around a local park to make sure she could walk to classes. The day before school started, Allie was out in her backyard, working on arm circles and overhand throwing.

Allie also went through physical therapy and strength conditioning with CHKD after returning home. “Physical therapy helped me a lot more than I thought it was going to. I was more flexible and could move around more. It helped tremendously,” Allie said. “It made me a lot more confident.”

She and her family are happy with the results of the surgery and the care Allie received at CHKD.

“Despite the circumstances, this is one of the best medical experiences I’ve ever had,” Chrystal said. “They kept us updated with what to expect and everything we needed to know. Everyone was awesome.”

As a part of her long-term recovery plan, Allie works hard to stay active to maintain her flexibility and strength. “I wake up every day and I don’t put any limitations on myself,” Allie says. “I feel more confident knowing that I am rebuilding myself, I know that I am going to feel better and be better.”

Today, Allie plays softball on the junior varsity level at Nansemond Suffolk Academy and on two travel teams, Unity Lively and Smithfield Thunder. At the beginning of this season, she hit her first home run.

“You have to believe in yourself, because if you don’t, you won’t be where you want to be,” Allie says. “Believe you can do it and you’ll get there.”