Fall 2024 had what Wendy Cooper described as a “magical moment.” “It was the inaugural season for football at our high school and there’s my son making lots of tackles and sacks. We were so excited!” she says.
Her son, Will, debuted as a defensive end for The Crusaders junior varsity football team at Saxony Lutheran High School in southeastern Missouri. It was the first time the school fielded a football team and the first season of active sports after Will underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL tendon in his knee.
“I remember finding out while in our school chapel about two months into my recovery,” says Will. “The feeling was surreal. I never thought I’d play football again.”
Will had played middle school football for a youth league but his high school didn’t offer a football program initially, so he switched to basketball for his freshman year. One day, as he and his friends played a pick-up game at a local gym, Will’s knee buckled inward as he made contact with another player. “He went down on the ground fast,” says Wendy Cooper. “His friend called us and my husband, Keith, picked him up and brought him home.”
Will was soon diagnosed with an ACL and complex lateral meniscus tear. His family turned to SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital for help and Will underwent surgery to repair the damage in late December 2023. He then worked hard in physical therapy for months after the surgery, motivated by the fact that his high school announced it was adding a football program. In his sophomore year, healed from with knee injury, he played on the inaugural junior varsity Crusaders.
“Will is such an outstanding kid,” says SSM Health Cardinal Glennon pediatric orthopedic surgeon Ashley Ali, MD, who also serves as Team Physician for the Saint Louis University Billikens basketball team. “He deals with adversity head-on and with courage. I was so impressed by his attitude and motivation throughout his recovery.”
The family is a true “Glennon family.” Will already had seen several physicians at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon after leading up to being diagnosed with a genetic disorder, Klippel Trenaunay Syndrome (KTS). The disorder affects the development of blood vessels, tissue and bone, often causing one leg to grow bigger than the other. “It was probably a three-centimeter difference between his right and left leg when he was younger and it would have been about 6-7 cm difference without surgery,” says Wendy Cooper. “We saw a Cardinal Glennon orthopedist every six months from age 1 to 2nd grade to monitor the growth.”
Will eventually had four surgeries — in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 8th grade — three to lengthen his left tibia and the last one to ensure both legs stayed the same length. He wore an external frame that was connected to his leg bone to allow for gradual lengthening beginning in 2nd grade. Doctors removed the frame a year later and inserted a metal rod into the bone to help strengthen it as new bone grew. The rod was then removed. When all the surgeries were completed, Will stood tall. Now in his junior year in high school, he stands more than 6’3” tall.
“The KTS didn’t stop him from playing sports, and Dr. Ali kept him playing when he got injured,” says Wendy Cooper. “We are beyond grateful.”
“Will was able to return to play without any issues, and it was the best feeling ever when I received a text message from his mother with a picture of Will back on the field!” says Dr. Ali.
Will now sits on the Leadership Council for his varsity football team. He remains motivated to exercise and keep playing through his senior year.
“My family has always encouraged me to be a participant in sports even with my challenges,” says Will. “I’m thankful that Dr. Ali and other doctors at Glennon have kept me healthy.”
