Kellen's Journey to Confidence and Comfort

A Story of Hope, Collaboration and Expertise  

For Kellen, a vibrant 8-year-old with a zest for life, uncontrollable bowel accidents were an unexplained, daily challenge. The accidents took a toll not only on his physical health but also on his confidence and overall wellbeing. After years of searching for answers, Kellen's family turned to the expertise of Children’s Nebraska, where teams work together to find answers — even for the most challenging cases. 

A Multidisciplinary Approach That Changed Everything  

Kellen’s care required the combined ingenuity of pediatric specialists in Gastroenterology, Neurosurgery, Urology, and Radiology. At Children’s Nebraska, collaboration is key. Each team brought its unique perspective to uncover the root cause of Kellen’s issue — a tethered cord. This is a spectrum of rare conditions where the spinal cord is abnormally adherent to the surrounding tissue.  

Afshin Salehi, MD, MS, pediatric neurosurgeon, described it best, “Oftentimes not one physician can make a definitive diagnosis as well as act on it. Here in Neurosurgery, I had one piece of the information, Gastroenterology provided another piece, Urology provided yet another and so did Radiology. Together, collectively we came to the diagnosis.”  

What Is a Tethered Cord?  

A tethered cord occurs when the spinal cord is anchored by tissue, resulting in restricted movement. Though often present at birth, symptoms — such as bowel or bladder dysfunction, back pain or leg weakness — can emerge later in life. If left untreated, it can lead to severe complications, including progressive nerve damage. Diagnosis can be challenging as it requires a multidisciplinary approach to avoid performing unnecessary surgeries on every child with abnormal MR finding. The goal is to treat the disease, not the imaging.   

Surgery is the primary treatment for tethered cord syndrome. When identified early and corrected surgically, most patients experience significant symptom improvement and restored quality of life, as seen in Kellen’s story.  

Life After Surgery  

The results spoke for themselves. Following surgery, Kellen experienced 40 days without a single accident, a drastic improvement from his previous daily struggles. For the first time, he could feel what was happening in his body, giving him not only physical relief but also renewed confidence and emotional strength.  

His parents, Trevor and Mary, noticed the immediate transformation. “He seems happier. He seems more confident in just the way he walks and holds himself,” they shared. Kellen himself described the change simply but powerfully: “It helped.”  

The Unique Care at Children’s Nebraska  

Children's Nebraska stands apart in the region because of its dedication to comprehensive, child-focused care. With its multidisciplinary, collaborative approach, teams work tirelessly to uncover solutions for complex conditions. Every physician, nurse and specialist is dedicated to treating children, ensuring unparalleled expertise and compassion.