Teen Returns to Baseball Less Than a Year After Emergency Brain Surgery

Caiden has been playing baseball for as long as he can remember. He and his dad spent countless hours playing and practicing. Even Caiden’s first word was “ball.”

Just as Caiden was loading the pitching machine, one of his teammates hit a line-drive right up the middle. The ball hit Caiden in the right temple.

Caiden was rushed to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where a CT scan showed a concussion and a skull fracture, which caused a large blood clot that placed pressure on his brain.

“Every minute counted,” remembers Caiden’s neurosurgeon.

Caiden’s emergency surgery was successful. After a stay in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), he spent time on our neurology floor, rebuilding his strength with our physical, occupational and speech therapists.

Exactly 10 months from the date of his accident, Caiden was back on the baseball diamond as a sophomore, playing his very first varsity game—thanks to his strong will, supportive community and his entire case team at Children’s.

“In our darkest time, we ended up at the best place to have a shot that night,” says Caiden’s dad, Tim. “Being at Children’s gave me tremendous hope.”

With a planned gift, you can help Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta continue to provide the specialized pediatric care that kids and teens, like Caiden, deserve. Contact Ward Sullivan at 404-785-9809 and ward.sullivan@choa.org to learn more about your giving options.