Meet Caden

Caden was 15 years old when he was struck by a vehicle while walking to a nearby convenience store in early 2022. He was taken by ambulance to the Aberdeen Hospital in New Glasgow for a CT scan and later by a critical care ambulance to the IWK’s Emergency Department for emergency trauma care.

Caden was admitted to the IWK’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). He was placed on a ventilator to help him breathe. He also had an intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring device inserted to determine if there was pressure or swelling in his skull from a brain or head injury. Thankfully, Caden’s ICP pressure was in the acceptable range; however, he required deep sedation to maintain his pressure, and there was still uncertainty about whether Caden would survive.

Caden’s MRI results showed he had a severe traumatic injury to his brain stem. He also sustained a fractured thoracic vertebra, significant lung damage and broken ribs. Despite his injuries, they were more optimistic he’d survive, but whether he would be the Caden they knew before the accident, they didn’t know.

A week following the accident, Caden’s care team removed his breathing tube and, soon after, his feeding tube and all other access lines. Over a few days, Caden began to ask for water and correctly responded to questions about what his name was and where he lived. With every passing day, Caden’s health slowly improved. He was moved out of PICU and began rehabilitation.

“If you didn’t know that he was hit by a car and suffered such severe injuries, you just wouldn’t know that it happened to him,” says Sindi.

On March 10, 2022, after spending 31 days at the IWK, Caden was finally able to return home and finish what he set out to do on February 7. “We went to the store, and he bought the candy he went for that night,” shares Sindi.

In June 2025, Caden proudly donned a graduation cap and gown and walked across the stage at his high school graduation ceremony.

In the fall, he’ll be starting the Achieve Program at Nova Scotia Community College. In this program, students gain new skills to prepare for employment, future learning and participation in their community.