Stockbridge, Ga. (December 16, 2024) – Thomas Dellavalle was gathering his family to leave town ahead of Hurricane Milton. When he took an awkward lunge to remove his dog from a scuffle, he knew something was wrong immediately.

“It felt like I got shot,” Dellavalle said. “The pain was in my calf and it felt like it had exploded.”

The family started the trek up I-75 at the same time as many other Florida residents. When they reached Piedmont Henry Hospital in Stockbridge, Dellavalle, who was familiar with the hospital through his work with Ameripro Health, went to the emergency room. It was clear to the doctors and nurses that this was not normal leg pain. They contacted David O’Neill, M.D., the new orthopedic traumatologist surgeon at the hospital, and had Dellavalle prepped for surgery in less than 30 minutes.

The diagnosis was compartment syndrome, which is more common in crushing injuries. Dr. O’Neill had experience with those injuries before, but was surprised at Dellavalle’s injury.

“I had never seen swelling like that from a moderate injury,” said Dr. O’Neill.

There was a massive hematoma in the leg that was removed and soon Dellavalle was stitched up and sent to begin what was thought could be a long road to recovery.

“While being moved into surgery, the last thing he said to me was that there was a chance that I could lose my leg, but he’d do everything he could,’ Dellavalle said. “When I came out, it was there. The fact that he did his job so well is the reason I still have a leg to stand on. So if he did all that work, I had to do my part and get to walking as soon as I could, and that's just what I did.”

That included completing grad school classes, working, and physical therapy. Dellavalle had a goal of being able to drive his car with a manual transmission and, eventually, walking up to Dr. O’Neill to shake his hand and thank him for his work. He was able to reconnect with the surgeon earlier this month.

“I think you guys struck gold when you got him,” Dellavalle said of Dr. O’Neill. “I don’t think I’d still have my leg without him.”

Piedmont Henry received its Level III Trauma Center designation in 2023 and Dr. O’Neill joined Piedmont Orthopedics/OrthoAtlanta in September. If Dellavalle had been injured in years past, his outcome could have been very different.

Learn more about Piedmont Henry.