Rugby player opts for amputation

By at 11:33 am Thursday, Sep 15

Australian rugby Aussie Rules football player Brett Blackwell, who plays for Glenelg, busted his finger three years ago and it's hurt ever since. So he had a choice: surgically fuse the bones to end the pain and, as a result, his sports career, or chop off his finger. He chose the latter. From IOL:
"It's not something that's been done lightly and to chop a finger off, it's a bit drastic," Blackwell conceded to national broadcaster ABC.

"But I love my footy and love playing sport and if that's going to help me to succeed at this level then it's something you've just got to do," he added.
Link

UPDATE: My pal Christian Chynoweth points out that in 1985, former San Francisco '49er Ronnie Lott had part of his injured finger amputated rather than miss games. Link

David Pescovitz

Collector of anomalies, esoterica, and curiosities.

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