Ipswich NBL1 basketball player Grace George brushes with death after horrific on-court injury

A semi-professional basketballer has detailed her horrific injuries from an accidental fall in a game that left her facing life and leg-saving emergency surgery. WARNING: Graphic images.

Aspiring Olympic basketball player Grace George has revealed how she almost died after sustaining a gruesome on-court injury which has left her facing a $60,000 medical bill and the prospect she may never play again.

On June 25 a horrific series of events in the second tier National Basketball League 1 game led players turning away in horror as the Ipswich Force player lay screaming on the court with a visibly twisted and shattered left leg.

The gut-wrenching scenes required three ambulances to attend and multiple pain-killing interventions to even begin the process of transporting the devastated 23-year-old to hospital.

But that was just the start of her horrendous ordeal which included life-saving vascular bypass surgery to prevent leg amputation which she was told as a worst case could have led her to “bleed out and die”, plus a further two surgeries to improve blood flow in her leg and a separate operation just to repair her torn anterior cruciate ligament.

George is still waiting for specialists to confirm the full extent of her injuries but she understands she has dislocated the entirety of her knee (ACL, PCL, MCL, LCL), her popliteal artery was compressed and then “ripped up”, a few avulsion fractures and then tendon damages.

“The surgeon has made it known there is the possibility I may never play again,” George said.

“It’s heartbreaking. That’s possibly the worst thing I could ever be told in my life.”

HOW IT HAPPENED

The talented Queensland basketballer was playing in the third quarter of the NBL1 North team’s round 13 fixture against the Gold Coast Rollers and was breaking away after stealing the ball before being innocently ankle-tapped by an opponent.

“It was just a freak accident,” George said.

“I rolled my ankle first, but because of the way I got tripped, my legs got stuck, and I didn’t just roll my ankle.

“My body didn’t just fall over — my legs got caught, and I snapped my leg.

“I knew straight away I had done my ACL or something.

“In my head, it was slow motion. It happened so quickly, I haven’t watched the video, but everyone is saying it happened so quickly.

“It wasn’t until I grabbed my leg and realised that my foot was facing the other way — my leg was 90 degrees in the opposite direction ... I was like, ‘holy sh-t’ and screamed.

Grace George Basketball Video Screenshots

“It’s literally just the most freak accident, it’s not normal, and it doesn’t just happen. It was just so unlucky.

“I can’t believe it happened in a basketball game.”

George recalled how teammate, Ipswich Force captain and practicing physiotherapist Georgia Ralph, sprinted to her aid, screaming for someone to call an ambulance as she helped put towels around her leg.

“Most people turned away because it was pretty traumatic and horrific... but Georgia (was) the first person over to me.”

“I just laid there (on my side), and Georgia was speaking to me saying, ‘Yeah, it’s bad’.

“She wanted to get some towels under there (my leg) because my knee was on the court.”

George said her teammate Georgia continually asked if she could feel her foot and move her toes.

Force captain Ralph it was horrible to see her teammate with such a horrific injury.

“It’s quite confronting seeing a teammate go through something like that,” Ms Ralph said.

Grace George at the Princess Alexander Hospital.

George said three ambulances were called, and it wasn’t until the third one arrived that she was taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

“It took a long time for the ambulance to get there,” Ms George said.

Spectators of the game said it took at least an hour for the first paramedic to arrive at the court, and Ms George believes if they had come sooner, she might not have sustained such critical injuries.

“The first paramedic that got there was just in a car,” she said.

“He didn’t have a van or anything and only had the green whistle... he still didn’t arrive for a long time.

“Before the first paramedic did anything, he had prioritised calling his colleagues for backup.

“He gave me the green whistle, but it didn’t even touch the sides.”

The second ambulance came and gave Ms George morphine to try and help her off the court, but every time they touched her, she was in agonising pain.

“I have a high pain threshold... so for me to be in this much pain, I was like, ‘holy sh-t, this is really bad’.

“All I could think was I am never going to play (basketball) again.”

“I maxed out on morphine, and then the third (paramedic) came, and he had ketamine.

“I maxed out on ketamine before they could move me.

“I maxed out on everything, and that’s how painful it was — it puts it into perspective.”

Ms George was eventually put into a sleep by the paramedics and was lifted into an ambulance.

When she woke in the ambulance on the way Princess Alexandra Hospital she was told her her foot had no blood flow.

Grace George’s serious left leg injury.

“By the time the second paramedics got there (to the court), I realised I could not feel my foot anymore.”

THE COMPLICATED SURGERIES TO SAVE HER LEG

George had life-saving vascular bypass surgery on the same day of the incident.

She said doctors told her if the surgery was unsuccessful, they would need to amputate her left leg. She said she was told the worst case could have led her to “bleed out and die” because of the lack of blood flow to her foot.

She has undergone two subsequent surgeries to help alleviate pressure in her leg muscles and to clean and remove fluid from her leg.

George said she would later have ACL surgery.

A close up of Grace George’s leg at the Princess Alexander Hospital.

Currently, the Olympic hopeful is immobile, with external fixators to keep her leg in place.

“I have done everything in my knee — there’s only one tendon left, if that.

“It was so painful; I can’t even describe the pain, the pressure in my knee — it felt like my knee was going to explode.

“The surgeon has made it known there is the possibility I may never play again.

“It’s heartbreaking. That’s possibly the worst thing I could ever be told in my life.

Basketballer Grace George on the court.

George is still waiting for confirmation from specialists to confirm the full extent of her injuries but Ralph, who will be George’s physiotherapist during her recovery, said there is a very long road ahead.

“The injury is life-changing for Grace,” Ralph said.

“Coming so close to losing her leg, or worse, is one of the scariest things an athlete could go through.

“It is an injury that the majority of health professionals won’t see in their career.

“Grace has a very long road ahead of her, but if anyone can do it, it’s her.

“The mental and physical side of the rehab will be challenging but she is going to inspire so many people with her journey.

“She also has an incredible support system around her, lead by her mum, which is going to be a huge asset to her recovery.”

George has played for 14 years, coming through the ranks at the Australian Institute of Sport and has hopes of playing in the Olympics.

Basketballer Grace George overseas playing in Europe.

She has played professional basketball in Europe and recently signed with Scotland’s Caledonia Gladiators.

She comes home to Australia to play with the Ipswich Force during her off-season.

“This is off-season for me, so team trainings are less intense, but I still train every day,” she said.

“I was playing some of the best basketball I have ever played.

“I had always been a good player, but I just figured out what worked for me.”

George says her estimated surgery costs sit at around $60,000 as she has chosen to go to a private specialist to save her career.

Basketball Queensland CEO, Joshua Pascoe, said George was covered by the organisation’s insurance.

“Basketball Queensland were saddened to hear about Grace’s recent injury and offer our heartfelt well wishes for a swift and complete recovery,” Mr Pascoe said.

“Grace is covered by the BQ (Basketball Queensland) insurance, but in some circumstances, NBL1 North clubs will organise private health insurance for contracted players.

“Basketball Queensland will continue to support Grace’s journey back from her injury and share any updates from her club and social media.”

Grace George Basketball Injury

George’s mother, Naomi, said they had sought out an expert to treat her injuries.

“But the severity of the injury and the fact this is Grace’s professional career, there were no second thoughts ... the surgeon we have just (treats) knees.”

Ipswich Basketball Association and the Ipswich Force community have started a GoFundMe campaign to help alleviate some of their player’s enormous medical expenses — as it is understood insurance may only cover up to $2000.

Ipswich Basketball club president Toni Caldwell said the community was rallying to support her.

“This Saturday night, which is the final round of the season we have organised it to be Grace George round,” Ms Caldwell said.

“We have an online auction going at the moment but the Nathan Sobey Australian jersey will be at the game on Saturday night so people can see it.

“They can purchase raffle tickets there as well.”

Originally published as Ipswich NBL1 basketball player Grace George brushes with death after horrific on-court injury