Four years ago, the Poole family was getting ready to go to a football game together. “Karson came into my room to ask a question, but when she turned to leave, she screamed and hit the floor,” says her mother, Kellie. “I noticed immediately that her foot was turned awkwardly.”

Kellie soon realized that the problem wasn’t with Karson’s foot, but rather with her knee. “I felt her leg and noticed that her left kneecap was sitting on the outside of her leg,” her mother says. After a trip to the ER, Karson had several weeks of physical therapy and wore a brace until the swelling subsided.

When Karson was in fifth grade, it happened again. Her doctor felt that the problem would get better as she grew and strengthened her leg muscles.

Unfortunately, when Karson began cheerleading in seventh grade, her knee became more of an issue. Karson’s pediatrician ordered an MRI, which revealed the culprit. In January, Karson underwent surgery to repair and reconstruct the ligament that had been causing her issues. “The first couple of weeks were very rough for Karson,” Kellie says, “but she was a determined young lady.”

Shortly after surgery, Karson began physical therapy at North Mississippi Medical Center Gilmore-Amory. “She will tell you that it was not easy, even very difficult at times,” Kellie says. “She had days that she regretted the surgery, but she never gave up.”

Physical therapists Korie Beth Kent (left) and Kelly Young (right) worked with Karson three days a week for many weeks. “I thank these individuals for all the help and encouragement—they were a true godsend for my daughter,” Kellie says. “Now she is doing fabulous. To see her walk with confidence and participate without fear, it means the world to me.”

'To see her walk with confidence and participate without fear, it means the world to me.'