Shon Stark is a winner. 

“I always try to be the best at everything I do,” the 18-year-old said.

That includes athletics.


Shon Stark

“It’s the reason he wakes up,” Shon, Sr., said of his son’s love of sports.

The La Grange, MO, resident is a member of the Highland High School track and field team, where he set the school and conference records, and earned the Class 2 State Championship in discus in May 2022 with a throw of 165 feet and 11 inches.

As a tackle and defensive tackle on the Cougar football team, Shon earned All-District honors twice, as well as All State Academic and All Conference.

But then came summer vacation

Shon feared he was going to lose it all when he dislocated his knee cap during a family vacation, damaging a piece of bone and some cartilage from the bottom of the outside of his femur during the knee cap dislocation. The femur is the thigh bone. It's the longest, strongest bone in the body. It's a critical part of the ability to stand and move.

“It was the worst pain I ever felt,” Shon said. “I was devastated, almost depressed. I had made a promise at our track banquet that I was going to win state.”

Makenzie Little, PTS, ATC, trainer, Highland High School football team and member of the Advance Physical Therapy staff, recommended Shon see Blessing Health orthopedic surgeon Josue Acevedo.

“Makenzie talked to Shon at practice on a Monday. We saw Dr. Acevedo on Tuesday. Shon was in surgery Wednesday morning,” Shon’s dad stated.

Dr. Acevedo is certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgeons. He completed a sports medicine fellowship at the University of Miami/Jackson Health System in Florida and trained with the University of Miami Hurricanes football team as part of his fellowship.


Josue Acevedo, MD, Blessing Health Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

Dr. Acevedo’s examination of Shon determined there was no evidence of long-term damage to the knee because of the knee cap dislocation – no ligaments or tendons were involved.

“Because Shon is an athlete we decided to go with the more conservative procedure and take the piece of bone that had come off during the dislocation and remove it,” Dr. Acevedo said.  “Then we would trim some of the cartilage. It would allow Shon to rehab more quickly.”

“I trusted his word,” Shon’s father said of Dr. Acevedo. “I felt like he was really on Shon’s side. When you have someone that cares about the kid, more than just the injury, that means a lot. As a father, you don’t look for anybody other than that to take care of your kid.”

“It was just a different level of care once we met with Dr. Acevedo. Definitely an uplifting experience emotionally for Shon.”

Shon’s medical team helps him excel again

After surgery, Shon worked with Zach Kinscherf, DPT, Advance Physical Therapy. After eight weeks, Shon was back on the football field, able to play the final six games of his junior season as a starter. The team went 8 and 4 and reached the district championship game for the first time in more than 20 years. Shon was named All District and All State Academic after a six-game season.

Later in his junior year, Shon fulfilled the promise he made at the track banquet and brought home the state discus championship.

“He is a strong person,” Dr. Acevedo said of Shon. “His strength and range of motion came back quickly and you can see the results,” he added, pointing to a newspaper headline about Shon winning the state championship in discus.


Shon Stark and Dr. Acevedo

“He’s a good kid and I am proud of him,” the doctor concluded.

“I feel great. I am back to 100%,” Shon said.

College recruiters, listen up: Shon is now a senior. This All State, All District, All Conference and state champion wants to study engineering and participate in track.

For more information on the care provided by Dr. Acevedo and the Blessing Health orthopedics team, click here.