WHILE it seemed that The Bluff teen Amber-Rose Schmuhl, was making steady progress since her devastating car accident in May last year, it was revealed she needed to undergo another major surgery. The 24-year-old, who returned to work in order to regain normalcy in her life, now needs to face the challenges of a serious shoulder operation.

Also read: The Bluff’s Amber Rose’s fight continues three months after horror crash

Catherine Schmuhl, Amber’s mom, said the news came as a huge blow to the family, both emotionally and financially. They were hoping Amber would eventually be free from pain after seeing what looked like steady progress.

“The initial surgery, which was part of her emergency care after the crash, saved Amber’s life. However, problems developed later, mainly in her shoulder, where the clavicle bone didn’t heal correctly. Now, doctors say surgery is a must,” said Catherine.

Amber is still dealing with constant pain, swelling and limited movement. Without this surgery, she will have trouble doing everyday things and could have lasting damage.

“The planned surgery is a fairly intense orthopaedic joint surgery (shoulder), with both repair and clean-up elements. The surgery is aimed at correcting bone damage or deformity, cleaning the joint, and stimulating healing, with a biological injection post-surgery to support recovery,” said Catherine.

The surgery she will undertake

She added that the clavicle healed out of place, which is called a malunion. Surgeons will need to fix it, possibly by cutting the bone and using plates and screws to hold it together. They will also take care of bone cysts, which are weak spots in the bone, by cleaning them out and filling them with graft material to make the area stronger and less likely to break.

To help even more with healing, doctors will use Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections, which use Amber’s own blood to help fix tissue and reduce swelling. While the main focus is her shoulder, they will also inject PRP into her knee because she’s still having issues from a tibial plateau injury she got in the accident.

The recovery period is expected to be long and tough, involving keeping the shoulder still, doing intensive physical therapy and following a carefully planned rehabilitation programme. This news has been hard for Amber, who has already gone through months of pain, trauma counselling and physical therapy, only to be forced to revisit that part all over again.

Supporting Amber’s recovery

The Schmuhl family is once again calling on the community to help them overcome their financial hurdles. Catherine said that the cost of medical care has been very high. After the first surgery, specialist visits, scans, and continued recovery costs, they are finding it hard to afford this next procedure.

Despite this setback, the family is still determined to fight for Amber’s future. Catherine said that her daughter has already been through so much and that this surgery is about giving her the chance to live without constant pain and to truly heal.

Residents who are able to assist, can donate via backabuddy at https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/help-needed-for-ambers-second-surgery. Alternatively, contact Catherine Schmuhl on 071 679 2931.

For more Southlands Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox.