How ONS Got High School Teammates Back on the Field After ACL Tears

For Jillian and Michaela, varsity soccer teammates at Trumbull High School, a successful senior season in 2025 was never guaranteed. Both had suffered serious knee injuries during their sophomore year that threatened to end their soccer careers. But thanks to the expert care and surgical skill of Dr. Demetris Delos, sports medicine surgeon at Orthopaedic & Neurosurgery Specialists (ONS), the pair made remarkable recoveries and returned to the field together this fall.

In September 2023, while playing in her very first scrimmage as a varsity player, Jillian landed awkwardly after an opponent collided with her from behind and felt a pop in her knee. “I knew something was wrong immediately,” she said.

Jillian’s parents were determined to find the right person to care for their daughter. A family friend recommended Dr. Delos at ONS and after researching his impressive background caring for athletes, they scheduled an appointment.

Dr. Delos determined that Jillian had torn her ACL and that reconstruction surgery would be required to help her recover and get back on the soccer field. After two weeks of prehabilitation to strengthen Jillian’s leg, Dr. Delos successfully performed her ACL reconstruction that September.

Shortly after the soccer season, Jillian’s friend and teammate Michaela suffered a left knee injury of her own during a basketball game in December 2023. “I was face guarding another girl and got hit by a screen,” Michaela recalled. “A lot of things happened at once. I planted and turned. There was contact on my knee, and I knew I was hurt.”

After speaking to Jillian’s parents about their daughter’s experience with Dr. Delos, Michaela’s family made contacting ONS a priority. “Jillian’s mom told us, ‘You can see whoever you want, but trust me—you’ll love Dr. Delos,’” Michaela’s mother shared. “We met with three different doctors in the same day and Dr. Delos was clearly the right fit.”

At Michaela’s first appointment with Dr. Delos, he diagnosed Michaela with a torn ACL. As he had done with Jillian, Dr. Delos performed reconstruction surgery to put Michaela on the path to recovery.

Both young women described their experiences with Dr. Delos as supportive, built on trust and genuine investment in their success. Michaela remembered how he took an unscheduled Zoom call from his car just to ease her nerves before surgery and her mother noted the respect Dr. Delos showed. “He’s the only doctor that looked Michaela in the eye and asked her what she wanted for her future.”

Jillian echoed the sentiment. “I never felt rushed, never felt I had to get out of there in five minutes. Dr. Delos pulled the MRI up and showed me the images and explained it to me. And he asked about who I was, got to know me better than just as a patient.”

This thoughtful care extended beyond the operating room. Jillian received a hand-drawn card from Dr. Delos’s team after her surgery and Dr. Delos came back to work during his Christmas vacation to perform Michaela’s procedure when she needed it.