I am supporting the Courage Classic for kids like our son, Quinn.
In May 2025, when Quinn was 4 months old, he developed pneumococcal meningitis, a serious bacterial infection that causes inflammation in the brain and spinal cord.
On the day of his hospitalization, things started out normally. After I dropped my daughter off at preschool that morning, I noticed that Quinn felt unusually warm. I took him to the pediatrician, where we learned that his heart rate was hovering in the 250 bpm range. When his fever didn’t abate with treatment, I drove him to Children’s Hospital of Highlands Ranch, where testing showed that he had a serious infection in his system. A lumbar puncture confirmed that the infection was meningitis caused by the bacteria streptococcal pneumoniae—one of the most serious causes of bacterial meningitis.
Things started to move very quickly after that. We were admitted to Children's, where Quinn was treated with antibiotics, but when his condition worsened, he was transferred to the Anschutz campus to receive a higher level of care. In the ambulance ride, he experienced his first seizure. Upon arrival at Anschutz, he had several more seizures and was transferred to the PICU for one-to-one care and more intensive monitoring. It was then that we learned the worst news: Quinn had had a stroke.
Over the next few days, we started to learn just how life-altering this diagnosis was. He’d likely never walk; he might lose his hearing and vision; he would have serious developmental delays.
The doctors, nurses, and staff at Children’s, however, were committed to not only saving Quinn’s life, but also ensuring his life would be full, meaningful, and beautiful. Just as we were beginning to understand all of the potential future outcomes, we learned that the aggressive treatment he’d been receiving at the hospital was beating back the infection. He started to heal, and a series of brain scans showed the damaged areas of his brain were starting to repair themselves.
Today, almost a year since his initial diagnosis, Quinn is a thriving 15-month-old that shows no signs that he was ever sick. In fact, he’s walking, talking, laughing, playing, and trying to keep up with his rambunctious big sister. The enormous team of doctors, nurses, and staff members that cared for him at Children’s, including neurology, infectious disease, hematology, radiology, general pediatrics, child life, audiology, and occupational therapy, have ensured that meningitis didn’t steal Quinn’s life or his future. We thank God for putting this formidable hospital in our son’s path.
We participate in the Courage Classic for families whose children rely on the care, coordination, specialization, experience, and knowledge that Children’s provides.
Thank you for helping kids like Quinn get the care, hope, and healing they deserve.
