Haley began to feel a shooting pain in her ribs that completely turned her life upside down. The 16-year-old was a competitive swimmer, but the pain caused her to put her goals on halt.
What made matters worse was that when doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong, they accused her of faking it and suggested it was all in her head.
“It was just really hard as a parent to watch your kid be in pain and not be able to do anything about it,” her mother Beth said.
Her father was furious at the accusations at her daughter, and got fed up that there were no answers. Meanwhile, even so much as walking made Haley break down in tears.
Then a hero emerged. Dr. Lisa McMahon realized that Haley had a rare condition called slipping rib syndrome. This meant the lower ribs on both sides of her body were lacking attachment, causing floating cartilage to occur in her system.
Haley allowed the experts on The Doctors to follow her story, which was an incredible success. Dr. McMahon removed parts of her rib cage, and now Haley is pain free.
“I am most definitely feeling better… I’m back in the pool with my teammates practicing a little bit,” she happily shares. “Breathing is definitely easier. I can actually take a deep breath.”
However, Haley’s story didn’t end there. The show’s host, Dr. Travis, had a huge surprise for her. The teen was so moved by it that she was brought to tears. See her special gift in the video below!
