Our surgeons care for countless children each year — but every so often, one returns just to say thank you. At age 5, a playground accident left Merek with a supracondylar humerus fracture that ultimately required thumb reconstruction surgery. For an active child who loved sports, the injury brought physical challenges and uncertainty. That’s where Dr. Sarah Sibbel, orthopedic surgeon and director of our Brachial Plexus Center, stepped in. “She treated us with human compassion,” Merek’s mom, Kay, recalls. “She understood the accident, the injury he experienced and the fear he had.” A successful surgery kept Merek’s injury from holding him back, allowing him to play varsity lacrosse, summit 14ers and graduate high school with honors. This fall, he’ll head to college to study electrical engineering. Merek and Kay returned a decade later to thank Dr. Sibbel for her exceptional care that made a lasting impact. They credit her for helping lay the foundation for the life that he loves to...