Kayden Lashoff

When Kayden was born, what should have been the most joy-filled moment of our lives welcoming our third child quickly became one of the most overwhelming. Shortly after his arrival, the nurses noticed a closed dimple on his lower spine. After testing, we learned he had been born with dermal sinus tract and a tethered spinal cord—a condition where the spinal cord is abnormally attached within the spinal canal, preventing it from moving freely as it should. We were connected with Dr. Jennifer Strahle, St. Louis Children’s Hospital Pediatric Neurosurgeon.

We left the hospital not only as new parents, but as advocates, navigating a world of specialists, scans, and surgeries we had never imagined. Every appointment became a crash course in medicine and resilience.

At just 14 months old, during pre-surgery testing for his tethered cord, doctors discovered something else we hadn’t expected: a Chiari malformation. Part of his brain was pressing into the spinal canal, a condition that can interfere with vital functions like breathing, swallowing, balance, and movement. It was another heavy diagnosis layered onto an already challenging journey.

Kayden had a 9 hour spinal surgery in June 2020. Today, he is your typical 6 year old: going to school, playing sports, playing with friends. His diagnoses will always be part of his story, but they do not define him. What defines him is his spirit, his smile, his resilience, and the way he reminds us daily that even in the face of the unknown, love and hope carry us forward.