Kiley H – Princeton Soccer Team

Kiley H – Princeton Soccer Team

Kiley started playing soccer in pre-school, at 4 years old.

In High School, she suffered a knee injury to her right knee, tearing her ACL and the meniscus. This type of injury was devastating for Kiley, because she knew it could alter her plan of playing soccer in college.

Dr. Allen performed an ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) Reconstruction and a Lateral Meniscus Repair.

Covid hit during her recovery, which actually gave her the time to come back stronger and better than before. She went on to play soccer for the Princeton Women’s Soccer Team.

7-games in, she was running and trying to stop a competitor from scoring. She planted her left knee and felt a pop and severe pain. Kiley knew immediately that she had injured the opposite ACL.

Kiley went back to Dr. Allen and he performed another ACL Reconstruction (this time on her opposite knee.)

Kylie had the surgery, but the knee was not recovering like her first ACL injury.  More imaging showed a cyclopes lesion that had to be removed. These lesions can occur after an ACL reconstruction. Unfortunately, it required another surgery.

Once again, Dr. Allen was able to remove the lesion and Kylie was able to continue her rehabilitation. Kylie was determined to recover and get back to playing soccer.

A while later, she dislocated her right shoulder, then had recurrent shoulder instability. Later, at another game, she fell and tore the shoulder labrum on her left shoulder.

Dr. Allen then performed a shoulder stabilization procedure and repaired her shoulder labrum with a Bankart Repair.

Kylie will fully admit that having her body fail her was draining and emotionally taxing. Her coach speaks about how she never gave up. He said he’s never seen someone so determined and that her determination inspired the team.

Kylie learned a lot about being part of a team during her recoveries, that she would be her best self by supporting, encouraging and cheering on her teammates, even if she wasn’t one of the starting 11. Her attitude and determination taught her selflessness and the true meaning of “team.”

Later, her parents (both physicians) took Kylie and her siblings on mission trips. They went to Ecuador and helped transform an abandoned military base into a functioning hospital and OR. She learned so much in this third-world country about how to give without thought of return and how to care for people who had no access to medical care.

The experience was so rewarding that Kylie decided to become a sports medicine specialist, and to eventually help individuals the same way she was helped and the way she was able to help individuals in Ecuador. When she completes her degree at Princeton, she will matriculate into medical school at Thomas Jefferson.

Kylie credits her teammates, PT staff, parents and Dr. Allen for continual recoveries, and for allowing her to play soccer and go on to become a doctor.

*Special thanks to Princeton Athletics for the story on Kylie and the video below.