02 Jun 2024 Sam’s still standing

By David Grimes

Last year, the second weekend of September started out like any other for Sam Seifert. The Conway High School senior went to class that Friday and then suited up that evening for the Wampus Cat football team. A defensive lineman, Seifert recorded a sack as Conway defeated Springdale to move to 2-0 on the season.

Two days later, Seifert and two friends were enjoying a day of boating on Beaverfork Lake when tragedy struck. The wake from a passing boat caused Seifert and Mason Downey to be thrown overboard into the water.

The boat spun in a circle towards the boys. Seifert helped keep Downey from being hit, but then Seifert’s left foot was struck by the propeller. Fortunately, Keaton Story was not ejected and was able to gain control of the boat and get both of his friends out of the lake.

As they got to shore, a couple of people at the dock saw the boys were in distress. One happened to be a nurse, and she assessed blood loss and vitals while the other person used Story’s shirt to wrap the foot. The Conway Fire Department quickly arrived on the scene and Seifert was taken to the ER at Conway Regional Medical Center.

There he was stabilized, then taken by ambulance to Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. Within hours, the first operation was performed.

The damage to Seifert’s foot was severe, and doctors made it very clear to the family that they were unsure how much, if any, of the foot could be saved. Even if the surgeries were successful, there was always the chance of infection, which could lead to amputation.

After 10 days and three surgeries at Children’s, Seifert was able to go home, but he and his family still had a long way to go. His parents, Trevor and Jennifer Seifert, would spend the next few months scheduling doctor’s appointments and traveling to and from visits with various medical professionals, including orthopedic surgeons, plastic surgeons and physical therapists.

There was also the daily task of cleaning the wound, which required removing and reapplying dressings to the foot.

His mother, Jennifer, said, “Trevor and I were truly humbled by all the friends, family and community as a whole that reached out during this trying time. We can’t say thank you enough to all involved in Sam’s recovery. Starting with the total strangers that helped when the boys first got back to the dock.”

More than a dozen operations followed, as doctors had to reattach the heel pad, reattach muscles where they could and trim away dead tissue. They also had to insert cow and shark cartilage to rebuild parts of the foot, and there were fractures and a broken bone to deal with. But his doctors were consistently pleased with the progress that was being made.

Despite wanting to be cheering at the football stadium, Seifert had to watch his teammates from home on game nights, but on Oct. 19, he was able to attend the Thursday Homecoming pep assembly in a wheelchair. Two weeks later, he was able to attend Senior Night, walking across the field alongside his parents with the help of crutches.

In November, they began the arduous process of skin grafting. There were also constant exercises to stretch and strengthen the muscles. Thanks to the willingness of the Conway High School administration, counselors and teachers, Seifert was able to complete the first semester of his senior year virtually from home. He was able to return to school after the Christmas break.

Recovery also involved hours of physical therapy, but Seifert is now able to walk on his own wearing regular shoes. He will have to continue to wear shoes pretty much all the time, as there was nerve damage to the foot and thus it has no feeling in parts. The concern going forward is that if his bare foot were cut or injured, he would not realize it, but doctors hope that some of the feeling may eventually return.

The family is forever grateful to all the medical professionals who helped during the long journey to recovery, especially Dr. Alexis Tashima and Dr. Brian Rabenhosrt with Arkansas Children’s Hospital and Darren Beckham with McMaster Physical Therapy.

Seifert was able to walk across the stage at Conway High School’s graduation in May, something he and his parents thought might not be possible eight months earlier. He plans to attend the University of Central Arkansas this fall and major in business, with the goal of taking over his grandfather’s concrete company one day.

“The power of prayer, a strong family and friend support system, and being surrounded by a great community is what has gotten Sam to where he is today, said his father, Trevor. “We couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome.”