{"id":92607,"date":"2026-08-14T13:23:09","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T19:23:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=92607"},"modified":"2026-08-14T14:53:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T20:53:15","slug":"cadets-recovery-from-life-threatening-head-injury-defies-expectations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/cadets-recovery-from-life-threatening-head-injury-defies-expectations\/","title":{"rendered":"Cadet\u2019s recovery from life-threatening head injury defies expectations"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"Three
UCHealth nurses Zachary Johnson, Brianna Volk and Austin Pinkerton hod an image of Kadyn MacPherson from Webguy, U.S. Air Force Academy Association and Foundation. Photo illustration by UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A diver with the U.S. Air Force Academy team, Kadyn MacPherson, 21, was in peak health in September 2025 when she dove, facing backward, off a 25-foot platform during a routine practice. She flipped one and \u00bc turn and struck her head on the concrete platform.<\/p>\n

Her skull crushed into her frontal lobe, causing multiple brain bleeds and fracturing over 20 bones in her face. Unconscious, she fell to the pool, sinking 17 feet as a lifeguard, her coach and a teammate all leapt in to save her.<\/p>\n

Kadyn was flown to UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central, where she underwent emergency brain surgery for more than six hours, and bone across her forehead was removed to accommodate swelling. She survived, but the outlook was guarded.<\/p>\n

Kadyn\u2019s recovery began at the neuro-trauma intensive care unit (ICU), where nurses coordinated to delicately give treatment. Early on, the smallest stimulations \u2014 whether light, sound or the sensation of IV medication being pushed \u2014 caused immense pain as the care team focused on keeping her blood and intracranial pressure stable.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was like her whole body was on fire,\u201d said ICU nurse Zachary Johnson, BSN, RN, who is now based in the post-anesthesia care unit. \u201cA frontal lobe injury totally affects personality and how you respond to things. It was a process of recognizing that and adapting to it, ultimately finding what\u2019s best for Kadyn and the family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Stubbornness, strength and determination\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kadyn\u2019s mother, Kara, traveled overnight from her home in Hawaii, arriving shortly after the surgery. She arrived at Memorial Hospital Central to find Kadyn sedated and intubated, with drains placed in her skull and brain, surrounded by life-saving interventions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t know what the prognosis was, didn\u2019t know if she would be able to walk or talk,\u201d Kara said. \u201cWe had no way of knowing what her capabilities were going to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her eyes were swollen shut the first couple days. She would hear people entering the room, and Kara would narrate what was happening.<\/p>\n

Initially, the plan was for Kadyn to be sedated for several days. But she made progress quicker than originally expected. Within the first two days, she was pulling at the ventilator tube with surprising strength. The tube was removed, as she could already breathe on her own.<\/p>\n

\u201cHer stubbornness, strength and determination were evident from the very beginning,\u201d Kara said. \u201cThe nurses weren\u2019t even annoyed by that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Kadyn
Photo courtesy of MacPherson family.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Throughout the ICU stay, Kara said the nurses were \u201cthe shining stars of our experience,\u201d acting with \u201ccomplete genuineness.\u201d<\/p>\n

ICU nurse Austin Pinkerton, BSN, RN, CCRN said minimizing Kadyn\u2019s pain enough for her to be calm, and a little more restful, was a high priority for the nursing team.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs nurses, we\u2019re empathetic, but just like \u2014 getting the report on her, walking in and seeing how she\u2019s doing right after the accident punches you in the gut,\u201d he said. \u201cLike that\u2019s your little sister or your family member. You have to approach their care like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

He cared for Kadyn on nights, while Johnson cared for her during the day, with the two often handing off her care between their 12-hour shifts.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were able to learn about Kadyn and see how her day went,\u201d Pinkerton said, adding that they collaborated to find ways to make her more comfortable and support her progress. \u201cIn our unit, we have a really great team with a lot of very intelligent nurses who really care about the care they provide.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson was keenly attentive to Kadyn\u2019s pain sensitivity, taking extra time to warm her medications and let them gradually drip into the IV.<\/p>\n

\u201cPushing a little bit slower could be the difference between a torturous event and relief,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cShe is the only patient I can remember in recent history that even a normal medication \u2014 one that you don\u2019t have to push slowly \u2014 I pushed slow for her because I noticed that was causing her pain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kara said that was one of many \u201clittle things that made such an impact on me,\u201d as she observed the nurses use their intuition and creativity to care for her daughter.<\/p>\n

Kadyn was uncomfortable in the ICU bed and, at one point, grumpily announced she would like to have her friends come take her out of there. The care team, including Brianna Volk, BSN, RN, CCRN, RNC-OB, charge nurse, arranged to bring in a different bed, changing from a partial air mattress to a full one.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my mind, so much of nursing is finding out what those little things are that are going to make a huge difference to a patient,\u201d Volk said. \u201cA lot of people may say, \u2018What would changing the bed do for the patient?\u2019 Her overall comfort dramatically improved.\u201d<\/p>\n

At night, Pinkerton would quietly enter the room without waking Kadyn. \u201cHe would come in and do what needed to be done in the most efficient, but still caring, way,\u201d Kara said.<\/p>\n

At one point, Pinkerton asked Kadyn to do something and she refused, responding, \u201cI\u2019m not going to listen to you, you\u2019re not even a doctor,\u201d Kara said, adding that Kadyn’s burst of confidence brought joy to the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cAustin recognized that as an incredible sign of development and not an insult,\u201d Kara said. \u201cHe said, \u2018You know what? You\u2019re right, I am not a doctor.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

From Eagle Scout to AFA cadet and athlete<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kadyn was born in Texas and grew up moving around the world, due to her father’s career in the Air Force. She had lived in northern California, South Korea and Germany by the time she was 3 years old. The Air Force moved her family to Hawaii in 2011, where they were able to put down roots.<\/p>\n

Kadyn started asking her parents about diving at age 11.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt came out of nowhere,\u201d said Kara, who had been a competitive gymnast for 14 years. \u201cShe took to it like a fish to water. It\u2019s always been a joy to watch her dive. She puts her whole heart and soul into it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Kadyn
Photo courtesy of MacPherson family.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since she started diving at age 12, Kadyn excelled. Home-schooled through high school, she thrived academically. She also earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest achievement in scouting, recognized for leadership, service and personal accomplishment. Her first choice for college was the Air Force Academy, and she received appointments to West Point, the Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy by the fall of her senior year in high school.<\/p>\n

\u201cKadyn is incredibly intelligent and just a hard worker,\u201d Kara said. \u201cThe things she does, she does very well because she cares about them.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Kadyn started basic training, she was already on the academy\u2019s NCAA Division 1 women\u2019s dive team. She is majoring in data science with a focus in chemistry and a minor in philosophy.<\/p>\n

By her sophomore year, Kadyn collected five top-five placements in diving. The accident occurred during practice at the start of her junior year.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe warmed up and was planning to do one dive she\u2019d done hundreds of times before,\u201d Kara said. \u201cThere was a mis-step as she took off.\u201d<\/p>\n

Initially, Kadyn was driven by ambulance to UCHealth Memorial Hospital North<\/a>. After a brain bleed was found on her CT scan, it was decided she needed to be transported to Memorial Hospital Central (MHC)<\/a>, a Level 1 Trauma Center.<\/p>\n

In 10 minutes, Kadyn was at MHC. She was brought immediately into surgery to stop the brain bleed. A bifrontal craniotomy was required. There were numerous facial fractures, a fracture from the right orbital lobe to the jaw, and a collapsed central sinus cavity.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, about 30 people were in a waiting room of the hospital praying for Kadyn. Kara said she appreciated that the hospital would accommodate so many people in the middle of the night.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn Air Force Academy chaplain was there. He, along with Air Force Academy leaders, and volunteers and staff from a campus ministry program Kadyn is involved in, worked together to help the cadets deal with the trauma of helping one of their friends,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Kara was in Hawaii when she received the call from a dive team member who let her know what happened. She then connected with a coach.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey said get on a plane right now,\u201d Kara said, adding that her husband wanted to come but stayed home with the other two siblings. \u201cI got the last seat on the last flight that night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trust, support, collaboration<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the ICU, Kara said the nurses took time to explain what they were doing, and she helped them when she could, as Kadyn would often respond better to her mother\u2019s voice than others.<\/p>\n

\u201cTruly, what meant the most to me: The time nurses took to answer every question I had, regardless of how long they’d been attending to Kadyn or what else they needed to get done. I never felt rushed, and I always felt like they cared deeply about Kadyn as an individual,\u201d Kara said. \u201cI felt so cared for, and I felt so safe in the hospital. My trust for them allowed me to be that bridge to Kadyn so that we would be able to work together \u2014 all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kara spent much more time at Kadyn\u2019s bedside than is typical with an ICU patient.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a lot of cases, that can overstimulate the patient, especially ones with head and brain injuries. In Kadyn\u2019s case, it was the opposite,\u201d Johnson said, adding that Kara \u201cwas a supportive presence\u201d as Kadyn began recovery from the brain injuries. \u201cShe was acting more childlike in responses, which is often the case with these types of injuries, so with mom there as a calming presence, it helped her heal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Volk and Pinkerton also said Kara\u2019s presence made a positive difference and was appreciated by the nurses.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think family members in support of people are instrumental in a patient\u2019s care, and I love when patients have close family members at the bedside with them,\u201d Volk said.<\/p>\n

Kara said nurses would bring her warm blankets and refill her water bottle. In the hospital room, she and other family members posted photos of Kadyn at home and school, showing her life as a diver, sister, daughter, aunt and friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love when family members put up pictures,\u201d Volk said. \u201cIt reminds us that this person in the bed, who has had a horrific accident, had a life before this happened. Our ultimate goal is to get them back to that life that they had before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Back on her feet, moving forward<\/strong><\/p>\n

Early on, Volk said there were so many unknowns.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou look at this person who has such a bright future ahead of her, and it just makes you so sad to see where they are in that moment,\u201d she said. \u201cBut then 24 hours later, you see the improvements they make, and it gives you that hope and that joy \u2014 and you say, \u2018This is why I do these things and take care of patients.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Volk said Kadyn was \u201cso motivated, and it made us motivated. She wants to get better. She has goals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Incredibly, Kadyn was able to walk again less than a week after her injuries. She transferred from the ICU to the progressive care unit less than two weeks after she arrived. She then underwent extensive facial reconstruction to repair her orbital bones, cheekbones and brow ridge. After less than three weeks at the hospital, she was transferred to a rehabilitation facility.<\/p>\n

\"Kadyn
Photo courtesy MacPherson family.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kara shared gratitude for the team effort including surgeons of neurology, plastic surgery and ophthalmology, as well as the rehabilitation team and many other clinical staff who collaborated across disciplines to plan each step of Kadyn\u2019s care. She said Kadyn doesn\u2019t remember much from the injury or ICU stay, but \u201cshe was able to go through this extremely traumatic experience and feel cared for through it all.\u201d<\/p>\n

In February, Kadyn returned to the hospital for a final checkup before returning home to Hawaii. She stopped by the ICU to thank the clinical care team.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw her just walking through the hallway. I think she was even smiling \u2014 like, laughing a little bit,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cShe was a completely different person from who I saw in the bed originally. But also, kind of more like what you would expect of someone that age who is an athlete in the Air Force Academy. It was fantastic to see that kind of turnaround.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson served in the U.S. Army before he became a nurse.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a soft spot for cadets,\u201d he said. \u201cSeeing someone who could potentially go back and continue to serve after a pretty massive head injury is fantastic. It\u2019s why I do things like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

His service included time in Afghanistan, and the experiences led to his nursing career.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw a lot of people getting hurt over there,\u201d he said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t do anything about it, and I didn\u2019t like feeling helpless like that. It\u2019s one of the reasons I like working in trauma, especially \u2014 because you can usually get those people back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pinkerton served as a nurse in the Army for more than four years before he joined UCHealth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do it because we care about people, and we care about taking care of them in some of their most vulnerable times,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Kadyn is very much looking forward to returning to the pool as she continues to make improvements, and she has resumed her coursework with the Air Force Academy.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo see how well she\u2019s doing, it reminds you why you do what you do as a nurse,\u201d Pinkerton said. \u201cShe is an incredibly strong individual. We can do all the things right, but you don\u2019t always get those outcomes. The fact she\u2019s so strong and able to overcome those injuries is amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The visual companion to our 2026 Nursing Year in Review showcases the print edition\u2019s visual storytelling with connections to all of the articles.<\/em><\/p>\n

EXPLORE THE INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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