Arvada West Senior had Surgery, Then She Had Prom — Because Why Not?

Lucie Brown wasn’t about to let a little emergency surgery get in the way of one of the biggest nights of her senior year.

An Arvada West High School senior nearly missed one of the biggest nights of her life after a sudden medical emergency, but thanks to quick action from doctors at HCA HealthONE Rocky Mountain Children’s, she still made it to prom just hours after surgery.

CBS News reports that Denver, Colo., high school senior Lucie Brown made it to prom just hours after an emergency appendectomy. Yep — surgery in the morning, corsage by night.

Brown, who attends Arvada West High School in Jefferson County, had a minimally invasive appendectomy, was discharged from the hospital the same day and then showed up to prom — in a wheelchair, no less. Because apparently, nothing stops a Wildcat.

An appendectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures — about one in every 2,000 people will have this surgery during their lifetime — and the laparoscopic version has become a popular alternative to traditional open surgery thanks to less post-operative pain, faster recovery, minimized scarring and a shorter hospital stay. Still, “faster recovery” doesn’t usually mean “fast enough to make it to prom the same day.” Lucie apparently didn’t get that memo.

Acute appendicitis occurs most commonly between the ages of 10 and 20, and the most common complaint is abdominal pain, often associated with nausea and a low-grade fever. Not exactly the kind of pre-prom prep most seniors have on their agenda.

HCA HealthONE Rocky Mountain Children’s is known for high-quality, patient-centered medical and surgical care, with a compassionate, kid-friendly approach and a wide range of specialties that have made it a destination hospital for many families. Clearly, their team came through in a big way for Lucie.

Minimally invasive surgeries are done through smaller incisions than traditional operations, resulting in less pain, reduced scarring and a faster recovery for most patients — which, in Lucie’s case, meant getting cleared to roll into prom the very same evening.

Arriving in a wheelchair didn’t slow her down one bit. In fact, it arguably made her the most memorable person at the entire event — which is really saying something at prom.

Lucie’s story is a good reminder that senior year only comes around once, and some people will move literal mountains — or in this case, recover from abdominal surgery in record time — to make the most of it. Hats off to Lucie, her medical team and whoever helped her get that dress on after surgery.

Now that’s a prom story she’ll be telling for the rest of her life.