Ethan Saldana knew something was wrong the moment he hit the sled. The Lanier High School defensive lineman had powered through shoulder pain throughout his high school career. Discomfort was nothing new. This time, something was different. One wrong hit cut his junior season in half, put his senior year season in jeopardy, led to two major stints on the operating table and a mighty uphill climb to recovery.
Injury would not define this senior's final high school season. Ethan is Northside Hospital’s latest Comeback Athlete of the Week, and this is his story.
'A level of pain I would never want to experience again'
Football has always meant more to Ethan than a common game. He's worked hard at it, pushed through pain and built meaningful relationships with his teammates through it all.
As a defensive lineman, he relies heavily on his shoulders, arms and hands to do his job on the field. A week before an important game of his junior season, during practice, his shoulder could take no more. His labrum, a thick piece of tissue around the arm socket, was severely torn. It was "a level of pain I would never want to experience again," he wrote.
Like many students in his position before him, the lineman feared for his future as an athlete and whether he would ever return to the sport he loves.
"As I began to understand that I had multiple tears in my shoulder, it became even harder to accept," Ethan wrote. "I knew I could not simply ignore the injury and keep playing. I would have to commit to the recovery process and be patient."
Supporting the largest high school athletic outreach program in the Southeast, Northside Hospital Orthopedics serves over 50 Georgia schools by providing sports medicine specialists and athletic trainers to assist athletes. Northside is the official healthcare provider for Georgia State University athletics, Reinhardt University and Georgia Gwinnett College. These partnerships are powered by a massive team of world-class health experts with a unified goal: getting student-athletes, like Ethan, safely back to doing what they love most.
Northside Hospital shoulder and elbow expert orthopedic surgeon Dr. Elan Golan and his team stepped in to save his season. His labrum repaired from surgery, Ethan spent the next six weeks in recovery. Physical therapy followed. His comeback was getting closer to reality, when a stretch-gone-wrong suddenly retore his shoulder. It was back to square one — more surgery.
"Having to go through another surgery was one of the hardest moments of my football career," Ethan wrote. "My junior season was already halfway over, and I knew I was not going to be able to make it back that season."
The clock was ticking to save his senior year of football.
A mighty comeback
While his teammates practiced for another big year of football, Ethan watched from the sidelines.
"I would stand on the sidelines, watching and praying that I could return soon," he wrote. "Seeing them work hard and knowing I was supposed to be out there with them was emotional."
The lineman summoned every ounce of patience, chose to trust in the recovery process and worked diligently with his physical therapists. The summer of his senior season, finally, he would step onto a field again.
His return represented more than putting on a helmet and stepping back onto the field. It represented facing months of pain, two significant surgeries, rehabilitation and uncertainty. It was more than just a comeback. He was stronger than ever.
“My injury took football away from me for a while, but it also gave me a stronger mindset, a greater appreciation for the game and a determination that I will carry with me far beyond high school,” Ethan wrote.
For other student-athletes facing a major injury, Ethan had a simple message: Don't give up.
"It is easy to focus on everything you are missing, such as games, practices, workouts and time with your teammates," he wrote. "Instead, focus on what you can control. Listen to your doctors and trainers, take your recovery seriously and be patient with yourself."
Now, every practice and game carries a little more meaning.
"I am proud of how far I have come and grateful to everyone who helped me along the way" Ethan wrote.
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*The health story shared here is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Patients should consult with their own physician before making medical decisions.
