Everybody loves Kacie. Word got out and people from all over the state, even out of state, notified us and told us they were praying. – Shane Allman
PROVO — Shane Allman said he knew right away that his 16-year-old daughter was in a lot of pain after she collided with another player as they both sprinted to catch a fly ball.
“As soon as she got hit, she grabbed her back, and I was standing at third base,” said Allman, an assistant coach for Provo High’s softball team. “She looked right at me, and I knew it was really bad. I sprinted out there, and she was screaming and bawling in pain.”
Afraid Kacie Allman had injured her back, coaches called 911 for help. Luckily Provo High’s field is just across the street from a hospital so paramedics were on scene in just a few minutes. Allman said medical personnel took great care and told him it appeared to be a back or rib injury.
“But then she had a CAT scan and realized it was a kidney problem,” Allman said. “Then they found something else. They noticed she had some air pockets underneath her abdomen, and they were more concerned about that.”
The Allmans had to decide whether to have Kacie undergo exploratory surgery, in which doctors could try to figure out what caused the air pockets, or to wait 12 hours and see what happened.
“We decided to wait,” Allman said. “They put her in ICU in critical but stable condition. She had a couple of blessings and a lot of people prayed. I feel it was a miracle.”
The next morning the air pockets were gone. But Kacie’s kidney continued to bleed and she was unable to expel urine from her body, so doctors placed a ureteral stent on Thursday, Allman said.
The family has deep roots in the softball community as Kacie, a sophomore short stop, is the youngest of Allman’s four daughters — three of whom play the sport. Kacie’s older sisters, Taylor, who played at Snow College last season, and Emily, who is a senior at Provo High this year, plan to play college softball in Montana next year.
“Everybody loves Kacie,” said Allman, who has another daughter, Emily, who pitches for Provo. “Word got out and people from all over the state, even out of state, notified us and told us they were praying.”
He said doctors expect Kacie to be in the ICU at least a few more days as her kidney is bleeding and a large portion of it is not functioning.
It’s been an emotional blow to the team, especially because it is so unusual for a player to be so seriously hurt on a routine play.
“It’s just a freak accident,” Allman said. “But the bright spot is that everybody has pulled together. We’re very fortunate to be surrounded by great people. It’s just been great, overwhelming.”
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