Diagnosis: Imperforate Anus
Age on Race Day: 7
Hometown: Mena, AK
Shortly after Rhodes was born, doctors discovered that he had a condition called an imperforate anus, meaning he didn’t have an opening to pass stool naturally. Having been born at his family's local hospital, he needed to be airlifted to a children’s hospital close by. At just 24 hours old, Rhodes underwent his first surgery, a colostomy, where an opening was created in his abdomen to allow waste to exit into an external bag. This was a temporary solution until he was old enough for a more complex surgery, an anorectoplasty, which would reconstruct the anus and connect it to the rectum.
When Rhodes was six months old, he was considered old enough for the anorectoplasty. Unfortunately, the surgery didn’t go as smoothly as hoped. Despite the surgeons' best efforts, complications arose during his recovery. The new opening didn’t function as well as expected, leading to ongoing difficulties with bowel movements. Over the next few years, Rhodes endured additional procedures and treatments to try to correct the issues.
Searching for solutions to their son’s pain, Rhodes’ parents, Tate and Kaela, reached out to Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
“I filled out an online contact form and within hours I had a phone call from the Colorectal and Pelvic Reconstruction (CCPR),” recalls Kaela. “We finally had hope in a very challenging time.”
Two months later, Rhodes was at Nationwide Children’s ready to undergo additional surgeries and therapies that have significantly improved his condition. Today, he is thriving and his future is bright.
Fundraising to support the Colorectal and Pelvic Reconstruction Fund.
