Back in the Game: How Emergency Spine Surgery Saved a Soccer Star

In many ways, Molly Mack exemplifies the all-American teenager. She’s well-spoken and intelligent, earning top grades in her senior year classes. As captain of her high school soccer team, she’s committed to continuing her athletic career when she starts college in the fall.

In another way entirely, Molly is extraordinary – because she’s accomplishing all this while recovering from a devastating car accident that nearly left her paralyzed.

Just months after a devastating car accident, high school soccer captain Molly Mack is back on the field — defying the odds with expert spine surgery and an unstoppable will to recover.

A Game-Changing Car Accident

On a Sunday afternoon in late October 2024, Molly and her friends were headed into the city to celebrate her 18th birthday when another driver swerved into their lane, T-boning their SUV. Their car overturned, ejecting Molly as it rolled.

The responding officer made the quick decision to send Molly to the trauma center at Morristown Medical Center – a choice her mother, Marybeth Mack, will always be grateful for.

“I really believe it made all the difference,” she explained. “I don’t think she would have had the same level of care anywhere else.”

The emergency team discovered Molly had severe damage to her neck, ribs, lungs, spleen, and right arm. However, the full extent of her injuries couldn’t be determined until her condition was stable enough for an MRI the following day.

The pediatric neurosurgeon on call consulted Dr. Kimberly Ashayeri, a specialist from Atlantic Brain and Spine (ABS), for her expertise in complex spine surgery. Together, they met with Molly’s parents to go over the results of the scan.

In addition to her other injuries, Molly had broken two cervical vertebrae and her spine was swollen, the doctors explained. Not only would she most likely never play soccer again – she might never even be able to walk.

“I said, ‘Nope, nope, that’s not going to be her,’” Marybeth recalled. “I just wouldn’t accept it.”

The Ultimate Assist: Expert Care and Community Support

Molly’s spine surgery was scheduled for Tuesday. In the meantime, Marybeth researched the surgeons operating on her daughter and immediately felt reassured.

“The accolades for Dr. Ashayeri were over the top. We just won the lottery,” she said. “We couldn’t have asked for anyone better.”

Dr. Ashayeri performed a cervical laminectomy to relieve pressure from the injured spinal cord. She also performed a cervical fusion on Molly’s C3 through C6 vertebrae by putting in screws and rods to stabilize and reconstruct the broken bone in the neck.

The procedure went smoothly, but Molly’s recovery would be long and difficult. She remained in the Morristown ICU for two weeks, undergoing another surgery to repair her right ulna.

Meanwhile, support poured in from her community. November 21 was declared “Molly Mack Day,” featuring a co-ed exhibition soccer match in her honor. A successful fundraiser helped cover medical expenses, and visitors – including the police officer who had first responded to the crash – came to see her.

Throughout the process, Molly’s determination pushed her forward. Her physical and mental strength, honed on the soccer field, proved vital to her recovery as her body healed.

(Re)Training Season: Working Towards Recovery

Once Molly was stable enough, she was transferred to the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation. It was a difficult transition – at the hospital, she’d barely been able to sit up.

Molly’s neck was very weak, and it hurt to hold her head up or even stay vertical for very long. Her right arm and leg, affected by the spinal injury, needed to be strengthened and retrained. She lost dorsiflexion in her right ankle, making it challenging to control her gait.

Still, on her first day at Kessler, she walked 45 feet with the assistance of her physical therapist.

“My right leg had to relearn how to walk,” Molly recalled. “But it was mostly my neck. Every time I needed to take a break, I stared straight down at the ground because I couldn’t even bring it up. My whole neck, shoulders, and back were in pain.”

Over the next few weeks, Molly persisted and grew stronger. By the second week, she could walk with a crutch and a brace on her right foot. Shortly after that, she could walk around the gym completely by herself.

“We were in the right place, and Molly had the best therapists,” Marybeth said. “They pushed her exactly as much as she needed them to.”

In addition to physical therapy, Molly also underwent occupational therapy to regain function in her arms and hands. When she arrived at Kessler, her left hand was weak, and she couldn’t move her right fingers or triceps because of her spinal cord injury.

The occupational therapists used electrical stimulation to help encourage muscle movement. By the end of her stay, she’d recovered most of the functionality in her left hand, although her right was still limited.

Perhaps the most amazing milestone she hit before leaving in-patient rehab was that Molly started dribbling a soccer ball again.

Kicking Off a Comeback

More than a month and a half after her accident, Molly finally returned home. At her follow-up appointment with Dr. Ashayeri, she walked through the door wearing just an ankle brace.

“I was very pleasantly surprised to see her walking in unassisted,” Dr. Ashayeri recalled. “I won’t rule out anything for Molly. She just keeps working hard and improving.”

Marybeth can’t say enough good things about their entire experience at ABS. The office staff coordinated everything – from doctors’ appointments and imaging to paperwork and prescriptions – so the Macks could focus on Molly’s recovery.

“It was concierge-level service,” Mary Beth said. “Whatever we needed, they got back to me within an hour. Everyone there is so good.”

For now, Molly is splitting her time between outpatient physical and occupational therapy at home and at Kessler. She’s keeping up with her classes thanks to a private tutor, but she’ll return to school in February to finish her senior year.

As for the future? She’s looking forward to getting back on the soccer field when she starts college in the fall. Her biggest victory by far, however, has been her amazing recovery from a tragic accident – thanks to an assist from Dr. Ashayeri and the caring team at ABS.