Only a Tumble, Not a Fall for 11-Year-Old Gymnastics Star

“Fall down seven times, get up eight.” A motivational quote for most, but for gymnasts like Kelsey Silva, it’s a mindset that’s essential for success. However, as Kelsey, 11, learned in August 2023, some falls are a little harder to get back up from than others.

A two-time Pennsylvania state champion for floor and on the brink of leveling up, Kelsey was at the top of her game when things suddenly took an unexpected turn. She slipped on an AirTrack (an inflatable tumbling mat), falling on her outstretched left hand.

Kelsey was immediately rushed to Lehigh Valley Hospital–Hecktown Oaks where an X-ray of her wrist revealed she suffered a fully displaced distal radial fracture at her growth plate.

The location of Kelsey’s fracture had her parents, Julius and Kristine Silva, concerned. Before making any moves, Kelsey’s dad, a physical therapist with Lehigh Valley Health Network, turned to his colleague, orthopedic surgeon Wayne Luchetti, MD, with Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute, for further instruction.

After looking at the X-rays, Dr. Luchetti confirmed what the Silva’s had feared: Kelsey needed surgery. That’s when Dr. Luchetti brought orthopedic hand surgeon (and fellow gymnastics dad) Paul Sibley, DO, into the conversation. With two daughters in competitive gymnastics, Dr. Sibley understood how important it was they approached this the right way, which led him to instruct the emergency department staff to go against the norm and not reduce Kelsey’s fracture – a procedure also known as setting the bone that involves pushing or pulling the broken ends until they line up. Instead, Dr. Sibley would do it in a controlled setting with a pin in the operating room.

“The more times you try to reduce a fracture, the more traumatized it will be, which was bad in Kelsey’s case because her fracture was right at the growth plate. My goal was to reduce the trauma her wrist would have to go through,” Dr. Sibley says.

On Aug. 17, 2023, just one day after injuring her hand, Kelsey arrived at LVHN Surgery Center–Tilghman where Dr. Sibley performed her surgery, collaborating with Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital pediatric orthopedic specialist Barry Berger, MD, regarding her growth plate.

“The Tilghman surgery center team was phenomenal,” Julius says. “My daughter has every allergy you can think of, and the team went out of their way to make sure the anesthesia they gave Kelsey was safe for her. They also wrote it down for us so in case she ever needs surgery again, we could know the type of anesthesia she needs.”

The surgery was a success, but it was Dr. Sibley’s decision to go against the norm that left Kelsey’s dad grateful they chose LVHN.

“If we took Kelsey anywhere besides LVHN, her wrist most likely would have been reduced in the emergency room and would have gone through more trauma than it needed to,” Julius says. “Not putting her arm through that trauma was major as I’ve seen many patients where that’s what they have to go through and it makes their recovery harder.”

Kelsey’s dedication to gymnastics never wavered. From cast to brace, she continued going to gymnastics practice under the close watch of her Girls CO-OP coaches – Coach Sandy, Coach Katelyn and Coach Rebekah – while steering clear of using her hand. Then in January 2024, Kelsey was fully cleared to return to gymnastics without restrictions. However, with Pennsylvania’s state championship a few months away, Kelsey and her coaches got to work right away to bring her up to speed.

In April 2024, with only a little over three months to get her skills back, Kelsey competed in states to defend her title. Not only did she become the Pennsylvania floor state champion for the third time, she finished only .025 shy of the balance beam state champion title. The first thing her father did was text Dr. Sibley and Dr. Luchetti to thank them.

Kelsey’s success was a testament to how resilient she is and her attitude throughout her recovery. But it’s Kelsey’s incredible medical team that deserves a hand.

“My daughter literally had a medical team caring for her,” Julius says. “I can’t thank everybody enough for how great her outcome was and I truly don’t think my daughter would have that much success that quickly if it weren’t for them.”

“I’m the designated videographer for her competitions and my hands were very shaky for that last state championship,” Julius says. “But she looked like she didn’t miss a beat. We kept reassuring her she would be back. And she’s back.”