Congratulations to Emma on her winning tee shirt design for our 2024 Day of Movement team tee shirt. Below, Emma shares about her personal hip dysplasia journey and the inspiration behind her winning design:
Hi! I’m Emma, a high school graduate from Wetumpka Alabama. I was born with bilateral hip dysplasia and started having flare ups about 4 years ago. This June, I was able to have my left PAO after years of doctors and steroid injections.
It felt like such a God wink that my rescheduled date for my PAO was set for June 12, in the middle of hip dysplasia awareness month! I started my journey to recovery last July and had a surgery date set for January of this year, but it was cancelled during pre-op.
I chose the phrase “hip hip hooray” because it’s a positive outlook on each individual’s situation. For me, mid-recovery and on a walker, it is a reminder that better days are ahead and that one day I will be the same athlete, if not an even better one, than I was 2 years ago. The heart, while acting as an attention drawer to someone who might not know what hip dysplasia is, is actually placed over my operative hip, as a symbol of gentleness and the amazing love shown by my care team, friends, and family!
I hope that my design encourages people in all stages of their hip journey to say, “You are not alone, and things will get better!”