Once an accomplished golfer, Hailey Stegemann faced significant challenges after a series of hand injuries. Stegemann, who started playing golf at age 6 with guidance from her father, found herself unable to perform daily tasks after three surgeries on her right hand. "I couldn’t do anything by myself," she said.
While competing as a sophomore on the women’s golf team at Tennessee Tech University, Stegemann struggled with persistent pain that limited her ability to play. She described the impact on her life: "It was hard for me to find joy in anything else because my whole life has been golf."
The injury originated in high school during a basketball game when an opponent hit her hand, resulting in a tear of the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC), which is crucial for wrist stability. Despite undergoing multiple surgeries over five years, relief was temporary and the pain would return.
By the summer of 2023, Stegemann and her family were searching for another surgical option in Cincinnati. One physician delivered difficult news, suggesting she might need to stop playing golf altogether. "We were reaching a point where we were almost giving up," Stegemann said.
