In April 2022, four-year-old Kutter Shed was involved in a farm accident that left him with devastating injuries—a mangled leg and the loss of nearly 80 percent of his intestines. “It was a parent’s worst nightmare,” his mother, Amber, said.
When Kutter arrived at Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s Medical Center in Temple, he was alert and speaking, but his circulation was failing and he was hemorrhaging. Dr. Danny Little, director of Pediatric Surgery, made the critical decision to bypass the ER and take Kutter straight to the operating room.
How a team of experts saved his life
Inside the OR, multiple teams mobilized. “It takes a village, it takes a team to save a patient’s life,” said pediatric surgeon Dr. Hayden Stagg. “There were about 20 doctors in the room—not to mention nurses and other support staff—during Kutter’s initial surgery.”
Surgeons worked urgently to stop the bleeding and restore blood flow. That night alone, Kutter received more than his entire body’s blood volume in transfusions. Orthopedic surgeons stabilized his leg with an external frame, while vascular surgeons ensured blood flow to his extremities.
Over the next month, Kutter underwent about 10 additional surgeries, including multiple skin grafts, and began intensive physical therapy and nutrition support. Therapy was difficult at first, but the care team found creative ways to keep him motivated—decorating his walker like a bull and arming him with water guns to playfully “battle” staff in the halls. Soon, they had him outside for fresh air, tossing beanbags in a game of dodgeball while nurses dodged out of the way.
Still, staff noticed Kutter struggling to smile after spending weeks in the hospital. Knowing his love for livestock—he had been showing cattle since age three—they arranged a special surprise. His family brought his three beloved mini heifers, Minnie, Little Foot, and Ducky, to the hospital parking lot. As staff lined the lot, Kutter was wheeled out to greet them. The reunion brought a much-needed smile to his face. “They mean so much to Kutter,” Amber said. “They’re more than just cattle to Kutter. Those are his babies.”
From intensive care to running free
After six weeks in the hospital, Kutter transitioned to outpatient rehab—a bittersweet milestone. Just three months after the accident, he stood before his doctor and grinned. “Watch this,” he said, before jumping up and down.
Today, Kutter is back to running around, showing his prized heifers, and eating tacos and candy like any other normal child his age. His parents are forever grateful. “Kutter wasn’t expected to live,” Amber said. “We’re eternally grateful to all the surgeons, the PICU nurses who were amazing, everyone at Baylor Scott & White who worked together to give us our Kutter back.”
In 2023, Kutter was honored as the Children’s Miracle Network Champion for McLane Children’s, an ambassador and advocate in the community for the charitable needs of local children’s hospitals.
