04/18/2026
Please congratulate Kaden! He’s thriving after our Oakland trauma team saved his life almost six years ago, following a tractor accident.
Kaden was just four years old when a tractor ran him over while he vacationed with his family in Ukiah. He suffered multiple life-threatening injuries, including a broken femur, two broken arms, a fractured pelvis and scapula, a lacerated liver, bruised lungs and severe internal bleeding from his spleen.
A local hospital in Ukiah removed Kaden’s spleen in an emergency surgery, and then he came by helicopter to our Oakland hospital’s pediatric trauma center, which is one of only seven trauma centers for kids in California with a Level 1 designation.
Our team performed three additional surgeries and cared for Kaden for five more days before Dr. Aaron Jensen was able to share the news the family had been waiting for: They were confident Kaden would pull through.
“It was the best feeling in the world,” his dad, Karl, says.
What followed was a long and challenging road to recovery. Kaden spent nearly two weeks in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and continued his hospitalization for several more weeks, learning to walk and eat again with our inpatient rehabilitation team.
In August 2019, Kaden returned home to his community in Pullman, Wash., where he experienced an unforgettable welcome complete with a fire truck es**rt from the local fire department.
Today, Kaden is a happy and active fourth grader who loves school and sports, especially baseball and soccer! He also enjoys cheering on his favorite teams, including the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Mariners!
