Some people are just born natural competitors. Nine-year-old Bowen Rodman has proven over and over again in his young life that he is a fighter. The Sergeant Bluff, Iowa native has played football, baseball, wrestling and even soccer. But his athletic ability and gritty mindset have helped most in his recovery from acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, a rare neurological disorder that causes inflammation in the brain and spinal cord.
“Bowen had a cold for about a week in August and one morning he woke up and he couldn’t use his legs anymore,” Christa Rodman, Bowen’s mom, said. “We went to the ER, and things progressed and got worse and eventually they sent us to Children’s in Omaha.”
Bowen’s symptoms came on quickly. He needed a feeding tube and a ventilator to breathe. He was unable to sit up on his own. Doctors didn’t know what his future would look like.
“They were unsure given the severity of his condition,” Christa said. “It had involved his brain and his spine and they didn’t know how much he would recover. They told us they were hopeful but they didn’t know.”
Bowen came to Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals’ specialized pediatric rehabilitation program. His transition became easier because Children’s physicians partner with Madonna and round with pediatric patients daily. The doctors who knew his case in acute care were directly involved in his rehabilitation. When he arrived, he was weak, but eager to get better. His plan of care had to start slowly because even touch was painful for him.
“For occupational therapy, we started by just tolerating touch, tolerating sitting up in a wheelchair, and then just stretching those arms,” Taylor Otte, OTD, OTR/L, LSVT BIG, Bowen’s occupational therapist, said.
Specialized technology, like the LiteGait bodyweight support system, got Bowen standing and moving his legs again. Although it was painful, he started to see progress in his recovery. Aquatic therapy in Madonna’s warm-water therapy pool further enhanced his strength and his confidence.
“The people here are really fun,” Bowen said. “They try to make it as fun as possible.”
As he got stronger and could tolerate more movement, physical and occupational therapy began playing to his competitive spirit by incorporating his love of sports.
“His team here has been amazing and so encouraging,” Christa said. “He would walk down the halls throwing the football and throwing a baseball, doing obstacle courses, just fun things like that to get him excited about doing therapy.”
Madonna’s Therapeutic Learning Center ensured while Bowen was getting better physically, he also stayed sharp mentally by keeping up with his schoolwork. The special one-on-one attention Madonna’s teachers provide made math and science lessons easier to understand.
Otte says much of Bowen’s success comes from his drive and determination to return to his favorite pastimes.
“We just kept trying to keep him goal-oriented,” Otte said. “This is what you want to do. We want to play catch with a football again. We want to play baseball. We want to wrestle, so I think those end goals of wanting to be able to do that again were really motivating for him.”
Throughout his stay at Madonna, Bowen also had plenty of visitors and outside support to keep him working hard. He got to chat with Olympic wrestlers, pet several Angel Dogs, and even received a special visit from the University of Iowa mascot, Herky the Hawk. A huge Iowa fan, Bowen decked out his room in black and gold, and he teased any of his nurses or therapists who happened to be Nebraska Cornhusker fans.
“Meeting Herky was really cool,” he said. “The nurses also helped me make a sign for my door, making me the ‘honorary kid captain,’ for Iowa football.”
Facing challenges that would be difficult even for adults, Bowen showed maturity and strength far beyond his years.
“The whole time, it was never, ‘What happened to me?’ or ‘Poor me,’” Joe Rodman, Bowen’s dad said. “It was, ‘Let’s go, let’s get it done.’ He gave 100% the whole time. I think that was 95% of the deal, his attitude and his drive to get done and wanting to get better was a big deal of it.”
Bowen’s parents were with him every day he was at Madonna, and attended every therapy session to provide support and encouragement. They participated in caregiver training and helped him carry over skills he learned in therapy.
“They did such a good job of tailoring what they needed to do and being hands-on with him, as well as giving him the freedom and independence to be and grow and work through some of those painful moments,” Otte said. “They are just awesome people and have really helped him be who he is today too.”
Over two months at Madonna, Bowen progressed from a wheelchair to a walker and finally walked on his own unassisted. He says he’s proud of himself for never giving up and always working hard. He’s excited to get home to Sergeant Bluff to his friends and family, and most importantly, his two dogs. He says he’s also ready to get back on the football field.
“Because of everyone at Madonna, I have Bowen back,” Joe said. “He can go home and be a boy again and do what we used to do. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”