Kellen had always been an active, energetic kid, so when he started feeling under the weather, his family assumed it was just a mild bug. But as days passed, his condition worsened. He found himself making repeated trips to the ER, and on one terrifying morning, Kellen couldn’t stand up on his own. Through a severe blizzard, his family made the 220-mile trip to Children’s Minnesota-Minneapolis in an ambulance. Soon after he arrived, experts discovered that Kellen had a rare spinal cord condition called acute flaccid myelitis (AFM). AFM sets in very suddenly, weakening multiple muscles. He was rushed to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), where he required a ventilator, a tracheotomy, and a feeding tube. After eventually leaving the PICU, Kellen embarked on an intensive two-month journey with physical, occupational, and speech therapy programs. When he started, Kellen was only wiggling a few toes, but thanks to his hard work and supportive care team, he started eating and moving independently in just a few months. Once he was cleared from these programs, he continued less-intensive PT and OT to keep improving. Eight months after that first visit to Children’s Minnesota, Kellen’s progress is remarkable. He’s not only standing and walking again, but he’s also playing sports, something he was unsure would ever be possible again. Today, Kellen is back on the swim team, forever grateful for his life-saving care.