The last place the Friant family expected to be on Jan. 17, 2026, was at UPMC-GoHealth Urgent Care. But that’s where they found themselves after Hayden Friant, 12, hit her hand on a door, resulting in an unexpected and painful injury.
The next day, a follow-up call from the urgent care staff confirmed that Hayden had a small break on the side of her hand.
The referral of a family member led them to the office of Kelly Machuca, MD, a sports medicine specialist at UPMC Williamsport, just a few days later. Dr. Machuca directed Hayden’s care, which involved a period in a solid cast, then a flexible brace, for approximately seven weeks.
After removing her cast, Dr. Machuca referred Hayden to the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute in Muncy for outpatient physical therapy.
“He put the referral in, and they called us,” says Traci Friant, Hayden’s mother. “Once they called, I would say it was within a day or two we could get there and get her in.”
Rehabbing A Young Athlete
Hayden is an active young athlete, and her injury disrupted her sports schedule in a big way. Not only did it cut her competitive swim season short, but it also kept her from participating in soccer, gym, and even recess.
When Hayden arrived at the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute, the goal was to get her back to the activities she loves.
Hayden began her rehabilitation journey with Robert Stahlnecker, PT. Robert, or “Dr. Rob,” as Hayden and Traci called him, helped her through every step of the process. He started Hayden using the hand bike, in addition to bands and weights, to help her regain strength.
Assigning PT Homework
Robert also gave Hayden homework between physical therapy sessions.
“At home, I had to do this exercise where I put my hand in putty and had to try to spread my fingers through it,” Hayden says. “(Robert) had me use rubber bands to stretch my fingers out. I also used exercise bands and weights at home, doing things like curls.”
Traci says that the open communication Hayden had with Dr. Machuca and Robert throughout treatment was key to Hayden’s successful rehabilitation.
“They were personable with her and got onto her level as a kid,” Traci says. “She’s at an age where she can communicate, and she’s very good at communicating what she needs.
“They talked to her about any concerns she was having, or things that were and weren’t working,” Tracy says. “Dr. Rob especially built trust with her and made her feel comfortable working with him.”
Traci adds that the rehabilitation staff in Muncy were welcoming and responsive, from the front desk to the physical therapists. Their promptness and flexibility with scheduling allowed Hayden to work her rehabilitation around her other commitments.
Returning to Daily Life
Since her time at the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute, Hayden has returned to sports and is back to the daily activities she enjoys.
“My hand doesn’t hurt, and it’s stronger,” Hayden says. “I could barely open a jar or a bottle when I first broke my hand, and now I’m doing things I did before.”