{"id":22328,"date":"2026-03-24T12:57:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T19:57:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svh.bitsculptor.net\/?post_type=hospital-story&p=22328"},"modified":"2026-03-24T12:57:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T19:57:08","slug":"sawyers-story-a-team-effort-on-and-off-the-field","status":"publish","type":"hospital-story","link":"https:\/\/svh.bitsculptor.net\/es\/foundation\/my-hospital-stories\/sawyers-story-a-team-effort-on-and-off-the-field\/","title":{"rendered":"Sawyer’s Story: A Team Effort\u2014On and Off the Field"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"For 14-year-old Sawyer, lacrosse isn\u2019t just a sport\u2014it\u2019s part of who he is. He\u2019s been playing since he was six, starting with Sonoma\u2019s youth lacrosse program in its very first season. After months of club play in Napa, Sawyer was thrilled to rejoin his original teammates\u2014some of the same kids he\u2019d grown up with\u2014as the U14 season kicked off here at home.<\/p>\n

But just two minutes into the first game, everything changed.<\/p>\n

Sawyer was behind the opponent\u2019s goal when he went in for a legal check. \u201cWe knew right away something was wrong,\u201d said his dad, Brett. \u201cYou could see his wrist and hand weren\u2019t where they were supposed to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the assistant coaches\u2014who happened to be a trained medic\u2014jumped into action. He created a makeshift sling, assessed the injury, and told Brett and his wife, Sarah, to get Sawyer to the hospital immediately. \u201cHe was pale and in a lot of pain,\u201d Brett recalled. \u201cThank goodness Sonoma Valley Hospital was less than a mile away.\u201d<\/p>\n

They drove straight from the field to the Emergency Department.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the moment we walked in, the care was incredible,\u201d said Brett. \u201cWe were checked in right away, and the nurse who greeted us was calm, focused, and kind. She stayed with us through everything, which made all the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then Dr. Drew Fenton walked in. Brett, who knew him from the community, felt an immediate sense of relief. \u201cYou could tell Drew had done this a thousand times. He explained everything clearly and, most importantly, he talked directly to Sawyer\u2014not just to us. That meant a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

An X-ray confirmed the injury: a fracture through Sawyer\u2019s growth plate\u2014a complex break that, because of his age, could be corrected without surgery. The team would need to sedate him briefly to set the bone back in place.<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Fenton explained exactly what medication they\u2019d use and what we should expect,\u201d said Brett. \u201cHe even described how Sawyer might feel afterward. That kind of clear, compassionate communication really calmed us down.\u201d<\/p>\n

From the doctors to the nurses, the team worked in perfect sync\u2014double-checking every step, talking through the plan, and making sure Sawyer felt safe and cared for throughout the procedure. When he woke up, a follow-up X-ray showed that everything was back in place.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe nurses were amazing,\u201d Brett said. \u201cThey were confident and warm, and they made Sawyer feel at ease in what could have been a really scary moment. They even got him to laugh. That kind of bedside manner makes all the difference\u2014not just for the patient, but for the whole family.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the days that followed, Sawyer followed up with his primary care doctor for a final cast and continued healing.<\/p>\n

\"\"Today, he\u2019s back on the field doing what he loves most\u2014playing lacrosse.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just so thankful for the services that were provided to me,\u201d Sawyer said. \u201cThey helped me get back to doing what I love.\u201d<\/p>\n

The experience left a lasting impression.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve always supported the hospital,\u201d Brett said. \u201cBut now it\u2019s personal. This showed us just how important it is to have emergency care close to home\u2014especially when you\u2019re a parent. If we\u2019d had to drive to Santa Rosa or Napa, it would\u2019ve been more painful, more expensive, and way more stressful.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked what he would say to the team that cared for his son, Brett didn\u2019t hesitate:<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are the best. You made a huge difference to us. These are remarkable people doing remarkable things.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the kind of care that happens every day at Sonoma Valley Hospital. And with your support, we can keep it going\u2014for every family, in every moment that matters.<\/p>\n

Give today to support emergency care that\u2019s always close, always ready, and always remarkable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":22329,"template":"","class_list":["post-22328","hospital-story","type-hospital-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/svh.bitsculptor.net\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hospital-story\/22328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/svh.bitsculptor.net\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hospital-story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/svh.bitsculptor.net\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/hospital-story"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/svh.bitsculptor.net\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22329"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/svh.bitsculptor.net\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}