Star Power - OrthoCarolina

PATIENT PROFILE
Star Power
A MODERN “WONDER WOMAN,” ORTHOCAROLINA PATIENT REDEFINES
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A WORLD-CLASS SCHOLAR AND ATHLETE.
By Sandi Constantino-Thompson
Rarely do you get to meet a person who is
a real ‘star’—someone who radiates a light
that remains with you long after he or she
has left the room. Jill Moore of Concord is
that person.
In her 18 years, Jill has competed in
hundreds of athletic competitions around
the world, garnered dozens of awards, and
consistently set national and state records.
During her time at Northwest Cabarrus
High School, she was named homecoming
queen, ranked in the top 20 students of
her senior class, graduated with a 4.27
GPA, and helped establish a new athletic
program. Most recently, Jill earned an athletic
scholarship to the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign and finished the Chicago
Marathon (her first) with a time of 2:18:05.
And she’s done it all in a wheelchair.
Despite her physical limitations, Jill Moore
is the least disabled person you could ever
meet. Her chair is simply a means of mobility,
barely containing her determination and
spirit. If there’s an obstacle, she moves it. If
continued
DESPITE HER PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS, JILL MOORE IS
THE LEAST DISABLED PERSON YOU COULD EVER
MEET. HER CHAIR IS SIMPLY A MEANS OF MOBILITY,
BARELY CONTAINING HER DETERMINATION AND
SPIRIT. IF THERE’S AN OBSTACLE, SHE MOVES IT. IF
THERE’S A CHALLENGE, SHE EMBRACES IT.
YOU. IMPROVED.
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PATIENT PROFILE
there’s a challenge, she embraces it. In fact, when asked
about her most difficult daily task, she’s pressed to find an
answer. That fortitude and optimism, not her disability,
defines Jill Moore.
curvature of the spine, is not uncommon. In fact, we treat
hundreds of cases each year.” (Statistically, it affects one in
every 100 people.) “Most problems are minor and cause
little stress on the body. But neuromuscular scoliosis is
much more severe and progressive since it usually worsens
as a child grows.”
Normally, scoliosis is defined by a minimum 10°
curve of the spine. In Jill’s case, her spine curved over
80°, making it virtually impossible to walk or straighten
her torso. Despite her condition and numerous surgeries,
Jill thrived. She proved to be an active child, initially
using crutches and a walker to maneuver about. By age
six, she tried her first wheelchair and instantly relished
the independence it offered. But it wasn’t until Jill turned
nine that a serendipitous moment on a basketball court
changed her course forever.
A LIFE-CHANGING DIAGNOSIS
When Patti and Gary Moore welcomed their daughter
into the world on March 7, 1993, they didn’t anticipate
the words ‘spina bifida’. In that moment, they knew their
lives would change dramatically. The most common
permanently-disabling birth defect in the U.S., spina
bifida results when vertebrae surrounding the spinal
cord do not form completely and can cause weakness or
paralysis in the lower half of the body. What the Moores
didn’t realize was young Jill had no intention of letting a
diagnosis shape her life.
Due to the defect, Jill suffered from neuromuscular
scoliosis, common with spina bifida patients. Dr. Michael
Wattenbarger, Jill’s pediatric orthopedic specialist at
OrthoCarolina, explains. “Scoliosis, which means
HOLDING COURT
Jill recounts how her athletic career began. “My family
went to Baltimore in 2002, and the city had three feet of
snow. Some of us kids were bored sitting in a gym, so
we took basketball wheelchairs and ran into each other to
burn off energy. I realized that I was actually fairly good
at it, so my parents checked into basketball leagues where
we lived.” Immediately, Jill excelled on the court, and
after basketball season ended, she started swimming and
added track and field to her repertoire. She laughs, “With
no attention span, I guess sports kept me out of trouble.”
Within months, Jill was regularly qualifying for
Junior National events. By age 17, she had set 18 national
swimming records, 10 national track and field records,
and competed on seven National All-Tournament
basketball teams, winning one tournament with MVP
honors. However, while her athletic career escalated, so
did her scoliosis. As Jill’s spine curvature progressively
worsened, athletic competition became more difficult.
Dr. Wattenbarger and Jill’s family agreed it was time for a
more permanent solution to stabilize Jill’s back.
SETTING THINGS STRAIGHT
Faced with waning strength due to the right angle curve
in her spine, Jill opted for posterior fusion in March 2006.
Again, the Moores relied on Dr. Wattenbarger’s orthopedic
expertise. “Posterior fusion bonds the vertebrae together to
form a solid spine,” Dr. Wattenbarger begins. “This provides
more support for a patient with neuromuscular scoliosis.”
During surgery, Dr. Wattenbarger used rods and screws
to help straighten Jill’s spine. Then, vertebrae were shaved
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PATIENT PROFILE
so the body would think her bones were broken and
initiate healing, thus creating a fusion. The hardware
acted as a splint until the body could form new bone.
Afterwards, Jill faced six months of recovery, a difficult
challenge for a girl unaccustomed to slowing down.
“Although the surgery was painful, the hardest part
was getting used to the magnitude my body changed after
surgery,” Jill recalls. “I had to relearn how to move, to
transfer weight and bend at the hips instead of my waist.
Dr. Watty was great at helping me adapt my movements.”
Jill’s mom Patti adds, “Children with disabilities learn
how to compensate if they want to do something. They’re
so resourceful, so it’s important to let them explore their
lives and figure things out.”
Within three months, Jill was able to resume
swimming, and by fall, she was back on the court. A
year later, she played on Team USA Women’s Under 20
basketball team in Sydney, Australia; set several state track
records at her middle school; and won the Tony Lucarelli
Spirit Award at the National Wheelchair Basketball
Association (NWBA) National Championship in Seattle.
In 2008, she was honored as Sports ‘n Spokes magazine’s
Junior Athlete-of-the-Year. And in between, Jill provided
community service for her school and church, ranked as
a top fundraiser for the MS 150 Bike Ride, and toured as a
motivational speaker for disability awareness. Not bad for
a girl recovering from major spine surgery.
CHANGING THE SYSTEM
By high school, Jill masterfully balanced weekly athletic
competitions, social activities, and academics serving in her
school’s Beta Club and as president of the Spanish Club. Her
only medical complication was a snapped rod, prompting
its removal. (While the rods are no longer needed after a
fused spine heals, they are generally left in place.)
In 2009, the NWBA named Jill one of the top 10 academic
students in the country. In 2010 and 2011, she was named
number one—the first time any athlete had received top
honors in consecutive years. In addition, she was selected
as a 2010 USA Ambassador for the Paralympic Experience
at the Vancouver Winter Games, U.S Paralympics AllAmerican track and field member, and Wendy’s Heisman
school winner. But something was missing.
While an accomplished athlete, Jill wanted to compete
for her alma mater. At the time, no high school in North
Carolina offered a competitive wheelchair sports program
in which athletes could garner points. Unlike most
Jill and her mother, Patti Moore
“JILL’S LIKE WONDER WOMAN,” DR.
WATTENBARGER AFFIRMS. “SHE’S SO
ENGAGING, AND HER PARENTS ARE
EQUALLY INSPIRING. SHE DOESN’T
LET HER CONDITION SLOW HER
DOWN, AND I HAVE NO DOUBT
SHE’LL BE SUCCESSFUL AT ANYTHING
SHE TRIES IN LIFE. THAT’S WHY I LOVE
WHAT I DO FOR A LIVING. I GET TO
MEET PEOPLE LIKE THIS AND BE
PART OF THEIR LIVES.”
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PATIENT PROFILE
athletes who compete against each other, wheelchair
athletes compete to gain points. These points establish a
level playing field so wheelchair athletes can contend with
other schools, plus have the opportunity to earn college
athletic scholarships. With her parents by her side, Jill
decided to change the system.
Working with Cabarrus County and school officials,
the Moore’s helped develop a points system that would
foster competition. Their efforts paid off. In 2009,
Northwest Cabarrus High School became the first N.C.
school to offer competitive sports for wheelchair athletes,
and Jill was first to score points for her team at the N.C.
Regional and State Championships.
Patti gives much of the credit to Cabarrus County
Schools. “We met with them to discuss how the points
system worked in other states, and they were so receptive.
Only nine states in the country offer competitive
wheelchair sports in high school, so we’re really fortunate.”
Jill agrees, “Northwest Cabarrus has been like family to
me. The students and teachers there not only accepted me,
but treated me like an athlete.”
Jill followed her 2009 accomplishments by setting
multiple state track records for her school and placing
first in the 100-, 200-, 400-, and 800-meter events
at the 2010 N.C. High School State Championship, as
well as the 1,600- and 3,200-meter events in 2011.
(She currently holds the state record for all six events.)
BUILDING DISABILITY AWARENESS
•19% of the U.S. population has a physical disability.
•Less than 5% of children with physical disabilities
participate in sports programs.
•65% of disabled citizens drive, compared to 88% of
non-disabled citizens. (Jill drives a Toyota Matrix—
“the cutest car ever,” she says.)
Only 10 states offer wheelchair sports at the
collegiate level. North and South Carolina are not
among them.
Each wheelchair sport requires a different type of
chair. Jill uses four chairs in all.
Wheelchair-bound children grow out of their chair
about every two years.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was
the nation’s first college to develop a wheelchairaccessible bus system and competitive wheelchair
sports program.
Singers-songwriters John Cougar Mellancamp and
Hank Williams Sr., artist Frida Kahlo, CNN anchor
Judy Woodruff, poet Robert Hensel and actor
Rene Kelly were all born with spina bifida.
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PATIENT PROFILE
She also placed first in the Pentathlon at the 2010
National Junior Disability Championship in Chicago,
was selected to compete in track, swimming and field
events at the International Wheelchair Games in Czech
Republic, and was featured on ESPN’s Rise Magazine
noting “Girls on the Rise.”
In the future, she hopes to compete in the 2012 or 2016
Paralympic Games which coincide with the Olympics.
More importantly, Jill hopes to return to North Carolina
after college and lobby for more state high school and
university wheelchair sports programs, plus get wheelchair
athletes on the NCAA circuit. “It’s tough to get a program
started,” she acknowledges, “but it’s easier if someone’s
willing to champion it.”
Jill continues to see Dr. Wattenbarger for check-ups
and establish new perceptions of disabled athletes. In
addition to her track and field interests, Jill is an open
water-certified scuba diver, independent water skier (her
favorite sport), snow skier, and marksman. Recently, she
finished the famed Chicago Marathon, placing eighth
among female wheelchair racers and earning her status as
one of the marathon’s “Elite Athletes”.
“Jill’s like Wonder Woman,” Dr. Wattenbarger affirms.
“She’s so engaging, and her parents are equally inspiring.
She doesn’t let her condition slow her down, and I have
no doubt she’ll be successful at anything she tries in life.
That’s why I love what I do for a living. I get to meet people
like this and be part of their lives.”
So with all her accomplishments, does Jill have any
regrets? “Absolutely not,” she asserts. “I embrace my
disability because it’s made me who I am. I’ve traveled the
world and made wonderful friends from here to Australia.
It also gave me the confidence that I can do anything if I
work at it.” She continues, “I’d like to be remembered as
a nice person and a pathfinder, someone who broke down
barriers for kids to come. Remember, I’m going to a school
where it snows all winter, so I obviously don’t worry about
accessibility. There’s always a way to get where you want
to go.” With that attitude, she’ll undoubtedly go far.
NO REGRETS
Ironically, the state where Jill was born and where she
reaped so many accolades does not offer wheelchair
athletic programs in college. Thus, Jill had to consider
universities outside North Carolina. In 2011, she accepted
a full track scholarship from the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign, the most wheelchair-compliant state
in America. There, she plans to pursue a double major in
human development and graphic design. (With a keen eye
for color, Jill’s also an accomplished artist.)
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