We’ve all had a moment when we could see our dreams slipping away. For sophomore Ben Stevenson, that moment occurred last year when a serious knee injury threatened to derail his dreams of playing college basketball.
Stevenson had a condition called osteochondritis dissecans, which caused parts of his left femur to break off. At one point, there were four bone fragments in his knee.
This began when he was in middle school, and in 10th grade he had his first surgery. The doctors drilled into his knee, but this did not solve the problem.
For the latter part of his high school career, Stevenson was playing in pain. He recalls that he could feel the breakage, but he didn’t let the pain stop him.
“He never used it as an excuse, and he continued to fight through the pain and discomfort and have successful seasons,” said Michael Mastroianni, Stevenson’s high school basketball coach, in an email interview. “He was the captain of our team his senior year, and he led our team to 20-win seasons in both his junior and senior seasons.”
Stevenson came to Guilford to play basketball last year, but he soon learned that the condition was getting worse. If he was going to continue playing, he would need the best surgery available.
In October 2011, Stevenson and his mother, Beth Tarasi, flew to La Jolla, Calif. for a consultation with a specialist. Stevenson was approved for surgery and put on the waiting list.
On Dec. 21, 2011 Stevenson received a call saying a donor was available. Two days later, the surgery was performed, which included merging part of an organ donor’s femur into Stevenson’s.
Stevenson came out of the surgery in great pain, but Tarasi knew immediately that it would be worth it.
“It was one of the best Christmases of my life,” said Tarasi via email.
On the plane ride home, Stevenson felt differently.
“It was the worst experience of my life,” he said. “I was passing out on the plane.”
Stevenson went through a long recovery process when he arrived home. He could not put any weight on his leg for six months. During that time, he did a lot of deep thinking.
“I got to look at my life,” said Stevenson. “It made me realize there’s something more to life than basketball. It was a long year, but I grew up as a person.”
After the six months ended, his drive to play took over again.
“I give him a lot of credit,” Tarasi said. “He worked like a dog. His sports performance trainer had never seen a kid come back from this surgery. Ben did it.”
Upon returning to Guilford this year, Stevenson has not let himself become inhibited by the surgery.
“Whenever he does slow down, it could be the surgery, but he never blames it on that,” said Caleb Kimbrough, assistant men’s basketball coach.
“It is very remarkable, the progress that he has made from his surgery,” said senior Kevin Gibbs, a member of the basketball team, in an email interview. “I think that adversity will guide him to a successful season.”
Stevenson is not only motivated, he is also talented.
“He can bring us a little bit of firepower offensively,” said Kimbrough. “There’s no telling how his role will develop, but he sure can shoot the ball.”
Despite facing physical challenges and the fear that he would never play again, Stevenson has become a stronger person. He has learned many lessons, one of which can be shared with anyone who sees their dreams slipping away.
“Never give up, because once you give up on yourself, you give up on everything,” said Stevenson.