Back on the Court: Thatcher's Journey from a SCFE Diagnosis to the Team USA Tennis Championship

At just 14 years old, Thatcher Weeks has already accomplished what many young tennis players only dream about. He won the Louisiana State Tournament and earned a chance to represent the United States at the Open Du Stade Francois in the Paris World Clay-Court Championships.

However, in the summer of 2023, when Thatcher was in sixth grade, he started having pain in his left hip. What began as a simple muscle strain, suddenly became more serious. After weeks of persistent pain, Thatcher was referred to the orthopedic specialists at Manning Family Children's. There, imaging revealed he had Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE), a condition where the ball at the top of the femur slips away from the growth plate. Left untreated, SCFE can permanently damage the hip joint and, in severe cases, disrupt blood flow to the bone, leading to serious complications that could even escalate to losing a leg.

"When we first went to the doctor, we thought it was just muscle strain," said Thatcher's mom, Carrie. "The next thing we knew, he was going in for emergency surgery.”

In August 2023, Thatcher arrived at Manning Family Children’s to see Dr. Bill Accousti, pediatric orthopedic surgeon. He was admitted that day to receive emergency surgery to stabilize his left hip. Recovery brought life to a standstill for Thatcher, who was accustomed to an active lifestyle and time on the tennis court. "I had to be on crutches for three months," Thatcher said.

Unfortunately, his journey wasn’t quite over. “At the time of the first surgery they told us that if SCFE occurs in one leg, 75% of the time it will happen in the other leg,” said Carrie, “and for Thatcher it did, about eight months later.”

In April 2024, Thatcher began experiencing pain in his other hip and he knew what was coming. "I didn't want to make a big deal about it because my dad was also having surgery that week," he recalled. "But my principal noticed I was limping at school.”

Thatcher once again arrived at Manning Family Children’s and received the same surgery on his right hip the very next day.

Understanding the diagnosis

Dr. Bill Accousti shared, “We don’t know what causes SCFE exactly – but there are some mechanical factors (orientation of the physis/growth plate), and sometimes it is related to low vitamin D levels, but his was normal.”

In Thatcher's case, there was no underlying medical reasoning. He had simply grown too fast.

Despite undergoing two emergency surgeries in less than a year, Thatcher refused to let the diagnosis define him. His determination carried him through months of recovery and rehabilitation, allowing him to quickly return to the sport he loves.

Back on the court in no time

Today, Thatcher is back on the court representing Northlake Christian School in Covington and chasing even bigger dreams. Before his diagnosis, he became the only seventh grader to qualify for the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) state tennis tournament.

Since recovering, Thatcher has continued to compete at an even more elite level, earning a spot on Team USA and traveling to Paris to represent the United States in an international tournament as one of only six athletes selected nationwide.

"My dream is to play Division I college tennis and then become a pro," said Thatcher.

Thanks to the expert care he received from the orthopedic team at Manning Family Children's, Thatcher didn’t just recover from SCFE, he returned to the sport he loves with his future restored, and nothing holding him back from the ability to achieve his goals.

Learn more about Manning Family Children’s Orthopedic Services