PATC gets grandfather of 7 treatment for painful knee injury

by Allison Howard

All Oscar wanted to do on that cold, wet January day was to push his car out of the mud. Instead, he ended up in the ED.

“I felt a pop in both knees and my whole weight came down on my left knee,” he says. “I had to wait for the pain to pass and when I got up, I was not able to walk the same . . . I went to the hospital and was told to look for an orthopedic surgeon.”

There was a problem, though. The 64-year-old grandfather of seven did not have medical insurance and could not afford to see a specialist. To make matters worse, the injuries he sustained forced Oscar to quit his job as a dishwasher for a local restaurant.

“The pain from walking was unbearable,” he says. “My wife had to look for a job to financially support both of us.”

The couple, who had been married for 45 years, were determined to find a solution. Oscar went to Mercy Clinic to see one of their volunteer physicians, when he was referred to Project Access Tarrant County.

This wasn’t Oscar’s introduction to PATC—he was seen in 2017 by PATC volunteer Dr. Frank “Trey” Moore, urology, for treatment of kidney stones. While his urology care ended out being non-surgical, his physician realized that Oscar’s knee injuries would likely need more extensive treatment.

He was quickly connected to PATC volunteer Dr. Bret Beavers, orthopedic surgery, of the Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Institute. Dr. Beavers determined that Oscar needed surgery to treat cartilage and tendon tears in both of his knee, so PATC coordinated his care at Park Hill Surgery Center.

“Dr. Beavers is very friendly, and he explained everything to me,” Oscar says. “My treatment at Park Hill Surgery Center was amazing. I did not feel any pain from beginning to end.”

After two surgeries, one in each knee, Oscar’s condition quickly improved. One of the best outcomes was that he was finally able to rest peacefully, something he had missed while suffering from his injuries.

“Sleeping used to be very difficult for me because I would toss and turn all night due to the pain,” Oscar says. “Thank you, Dr. Beavers, for helping me. May God bless you so you can continue helping people like me.”