Winsome's Story
Winsome Parker, teacher from the Grand Cayman.
I’m Winsome, and I’m a 50-year-old teacher from the Grand Cayman. Teaching my 4th graders is my passion. I believe that learning doesn’t only take place in the classroom – it’s a life-long skill. Therefore, I’m constantly moving around, interacting with my students.
In March 2013, my ability to be hands-on with my students ended suddenly when I tripped over a parking curb, twisting my ankle and tearing all the ligaments and tendons in my knee. An ambulance brought me to a hospital in the Cayman Islands, and the doctor put my leg in a cast. Two weeks later, he switched me to a knee stabilizer. My son works at the hospital and was worried when it was clear my knee wasn’t improving. He insisted I get an MRI, and when the results came back, we discovered my injury was very serious. The doctor said I needed to go elsewhere for further care.
The next thing I knew I was on a plane to South Florida where my aunt and nephew live. When I arrived, I found out the hospital I planned on going to wouldn’t accept my insurance. Panic began to set in. What would I do now?
It didn’t take long before I received a call that changed everything. An international concierge coordinator from West Boca Medical Center reached out and told me about an amazing orthopedic surgeon who could fix my knee. I was hesitant at first after what happened with the other hospital. I wasn’t sure who I could trust. The international concierge coordinator emailed me some more information and assured me I’d be in great hands. It was from that point on that I believe my healing process officially began.
The next day, I made an appointment with Dr. Jonathan Hersch. When I went to see him for the first time, I wasn’t in good condition. It had been eight weeks since my injury, and I’d only gotten worse. Dr. Hersch was bold enough to work with a challenge and get me back on track.
The first thing he did was operate on my knee to remove scar tissue that had built up over time. Three days later, I was already able to bend my knee up to 90 degrees! Dr. Hersch made sure I stayed mobile and that I stayed strong not only physically, but mentally. I had so much confidence in him when he went in again to reconstruct my ACL and PCL.
I can’t thank Dr. Hersch enough for everything he did for me. He went above and beyond what I would expect any doctor to do for a patient. He set up the surgeries around my schedule, so my son could fly over and be with me. He wrote a letter to my school’s education department, so they would consider a salary continuation plan. He explained my limitations and what should be expected of me when I returned to work. Dr. Hersch’s team did everything possible to make my life easier, and I am forever grateful to them.
After going through physical therapy at Florida Medical Center, I continue to improve every day. Because of the orthopedics team at West Boca Medical Center, I know a full recovery is in my near future. In the meantime, I’m not letting my limited mobility keep me from doing what I love most – molding the minds of young students.