Mile 24

On May 29, 2024, Cade was scheduled for a routine orthopedic appointment for what was thought to be a simple foot injury. That same morning, he had also visited his pediatrician due to unexpected vomiting. At the time, he passed all neurological tests, and his symptoms were chalked up to a possible virus. But by that afternoon, during his orthopedic visit, Cade developed a noticeable “foot drop.” His orthopedic physician immediately grew concerned and sent the family to Manning Family Children’s for a CT scan of Cade’s brain.​

​Within 30 minutes of the scan, Cade’s family received the devastating news: a lemon-sized brain tumor had been discovered. An MRI the following morning revealed the true cause—Cade had a rare condition called cerebral cavernous malformations (CCM), which are clusters of abnormal blood vessels in the brain. One of the lesions had grown large and had begun to bleed, triggering Cade’s neurological symptoms. Surgery was the only option, and his care team warned the family that Cade might need to relearn basic functions like walking and talking—and that his days playing sports could be over.​

But Cade had other plans. After more than eight hours in surgery and nine days in the ICU, he shocked everyone by walking and talking right away. ​

​Just seven months later, he was back on the field, playing the sports he loves. Now, nearly a year after his diagnosis, Cade has no restrictions and is back to doing everything he did before—an inspiring reminder of strength, hope, and the power of expert pediatric care.​