Ron Rosas Story [Text on screen: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center presents THRIVE the ron rosas story] [Video begins with the sounds of a tennis match] [Text on screen: Faced with quadruple amputation, Ron Rosas of Dallas, Texas, found hope 1,000 miles away in the hands of Ohio State surgeon Jason Souza, MD, and a team of caregivers dedicated to helping Ron return to the courts.] [Music playing] Ron Rosas: I started playing at the age of seven and fell in love with the sport, and I knew that's what I wanted to do. I did wind up getting that scholarship and going to University of Notre Dame and had the fortunate experience of playing for a national championship in 1992. It's an experience that I'll never forget. [Text on screen: Ron Rosas Former Notre Dame Tennis Player] Ron Rosas: And that was something I really wanted to be able to get back to. Narrator: Tragedy struck in the form of a respiratory illness, a tragedy that could end his tennis career, but also his life. Ron Rosas: December 29th, I woke up not feeling so well. [Text on screen: Victoria Rosas Ron's Wife] Victoria Rosas: So, we went in and immediately he went and got checked out, was negative, flu, strep, COVID. Ron Rosas: All of a sudden, everything started happening really fast. They wound up intubating me, putting me on a vent. Victoria Rosas: They were just pretty much telling me, he was not going to make it. Narrator: Fortunately, Ron's condition improved, but his body did not fully recover. Ron Rosas: By the time I woke up, it was January 14th, and I had black limbs. I had black feet, black arms, and black around my knees. At one point, I was told that I might just lose some fingers and toes. I was finally told that I would have to have both arms and both legs amputated. It was hard to hear, but I was spared my life. With three local visits in Dallas, I was told that it would be above elbow on the right, and I'm a right-hand dominant tennis player, and I really wanted my elbows to be saved on my right. That wasn't really sitting very well with me, with the consultations locally. [Text on screen: Jason Souza, MD Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon Ohio State Wexner Medical Center] Jason Souza, MD: Luckily, they found us through our military medicine program, and they were able to connect the dots and say, well, that's... In our military medicine program, we do a lot of advanced amputation care. We do a lot of microsurgery. We do a lot of saving limbs, and so, maybe there's an opportunity to use those techniques to Ron's benefit. Ron Rosas: Dr. Souza just asked, simple question. "Ron, what is it that you're looking for from this?" It was quite simple. I mean, I was a tennis player, and I wanted to get back to that. I wanted to be able to hold a tennis racket. The day I got here, Dr. Souza came around six or seven o'clock in the evening to my room and checked everything out in person. We had surgery scheduled for Monday already. He goes, "I'm not changing that surgery schedule. We'll still go on Monday, but I'm just going to remove the legs. Any chance of infection and just make you feel a little more comfortable." We wound up having a Saturday morning surgery removal of just both legs. Then, when we hit Monday, I was wheeled down to the pre-op at around 6:30, and I was finished with Dr. Souza calling my wife at 2 A.M. the next day, and that was to basically reconstruct my right leg, my right knee. Jason Souza, MD: So, we did everything possible to not only cover the knee so that it wouldn't get infected, but also to reconstruct his extensor mechanism so that it could actually function. Narrator: Dr. Souza wanted to use the same strategy on his right and left arms with the goal to have Ron get a tennis racket in his hand again. Dr. Souza made the right arm a priority in preserving as much of the limb as possible. Ron Rosas: It's one of the things that that's why saving the right elbow was so important. Narrator: With both surgeries behind him, Ron now had to concentrate on rehabilitation. Physical and occupational therapy were needed, and Ron began that process within a day of surgery. Then, Ron continued that rehab back in his hometown of Dallas, though Ohio State was still part of his recovery. The two therapists that worked with Ron at Ohio State stopped by to see his progress while they were in Dallas. Victoria Rosas: We've made friendships that I think will last a lifetime. I mean, that sounds corny, but honestly, people text and email to check up on him and are so excited to see the videos that we send, and so, I mean, this is our place. Ron Rosas: I'm just starting, and I know I'm going to thrive. [Text on screen: THRIVE the ron rosas story] [Text on screen: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center For more information, visit go.osu.edu/restorativesurgery] [Music fades]