Julius is 11, runs cross-country and says he can cover a mile in about five minutes. In 2025, he could not walk.
His story, told in his own words, was published Sept. 28 by the Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation, where he serves as a Patient Ambassador. A few days after a basketball game in 2025, he writes, he got sick, could not walk and lost the use of his left side. He was flown by helicopter to Children’s Hospital Colorado.
The diagnosis was a subdural empyema, which he describes as a rare and life-threatening infection around his brain. He had three emergency surgeries, including a craniotomy, along with severe seizures. For two weeks, the foundation says, he was the sickest patient in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. According to the story, his doctor said the hospital had only ever seen eight cases of his condition, and that he was the only one to survive.
Back on the course
Therapists helped him relearn how to move, walk and talk. Now he lists school, friends, biking, fishing and sports among the things he is back to doing. Cross-country is his favorite, and he writes that he has competed at the national level. He wants to become an anesthesiologist.
By the numbers
- 11: Julius’ age
- 2 weeks: time he spent as the sickest patient in the pediatric ICU in 2025
- 3: emergency surgeries, including a craniotomy
- About 5 minutes: his mile time now
What to know
- Who told it: Julius himself, in a patient story published by the Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation. The foundation uses only his first name and does not name his hometown, so we do not either.
- How to help: The foundation’s page has one-time and monthly giving options for the hospital.
- Read his story: “From the PICU to the Finish Line”
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