A Teen Patient Finds Lifetime Hip Pain Relief: Kevin’s Story

Why Specialized Joint Care Makes All the Difference

Kevin Whalen first turned to New England Baptist Hospital (NEBH) for help at the age of 19. A hip injury had developed into avascular necrosis of the hip joint — a painful and difficult-to-treat complication of bone or joint damage. Kevin spent four years on crutches while doctors in his home state of New York attempted, unsuccessfully, to help.

Eventually, someone recommended that Kevin and his family consult Dr. Roderick Turner, a pioneer in the orthopedic field at NEBH. In 1976, Dr. Turner performed Kevin’s first hip replacement. Just a few months later, Kevin says he felt “as good as new.”

“It’s an understatement to say that the doctors at New England Baptist changed my life,” says Kevin. “I was on crutches for four years during high school — imagine that! And then, six months after surgery, I was shooting basketballs in the driveway.”

Kevin continued to receive care at NEBH, later from Dr. Donald Reilly following Dr. Turner’s retirement. He understood that his prosthetic hip would not last forever and that eventually need a revision surgery. It was important to him to return to New England Baptist Hospital for follow-up care from doctors who specialize in joint replacement.

“I knew that if I ever had any type of complication with my hip, the experts at NEBH would have encountered it before, many times, unlike a regional hospital that does the occasional joint replacement,” says Kevin. “The patient benefits from that experience at the Baptist. It’s obvious to patients that every member of the NEBH staff shares a sense of common mission: being the absolute best at orthopedic solutions.”

Kevin and his wife, Ellen, donate to NEBH in gratitude for the decades of care that have helped him maintain his active lifestyle. Their unrestricted support over the years has gone toward key hospital priorities, including scholarships for nurses and research aimed at improving joint replacement surgery and pre- and post-operative care.

“I contribute in the hope that NEBH can retain its focus and dedication” says Kevin. “I admire the excellence in orthopedics that has been a key driver for the Baptist, and I am encouraged that NEBH wants to continue to define state-of-the-art in joint replacement technology and surgery.”