TEMPLE, Texas — Like most kids his age, 6-year-old Corden Fidler loves superheroes.
“Spider-Man and the Hulk and Captain America.” Corden lists, smiling.
If you watch him climb and slide on the playground outside McLane Children’s Hospital, it’s hard to imagine a few short years ago he was arriving at that same hospital for a very different reason.
Corden was 4 years old when he was seriously injured after his stepfather shot him multiple times in a murder-suicide in December of 2018. Corden's mother and another woman were killed in the shooting.
“He came in as the highest level of trauma that we have,” explains Dr. Kelly Mattix, one of the pediatric surgeons that operated on Corden when he arrived at the hospital.
Renowned neurosurgeon, Dr. Rabia Qaiser, was also part of the team that worked tirelessly to save Corden’s life.
“It certainly has been one of the most involved cases that I've had where so many surgeons had to cooperate simultaneously in order to save his life," she said. “I personally have not taken care of a child this young with this many wounds. So he has to be the first and I hope he's the last.”
With the power of teamwork, and the fight of a 4-year-old little boy, Corden survived.
“From the very beginning, [he] busted through barriers that we thought he might not do. And so from the time that he decided he was going to survive, he was a survivor," Mattix said.
“I stayed in his room for probably what seemed like a month without leaving.” remembers his father, Mat Fidler.
Mat Fidler didn’t know if he’d ever hear his little boy’s voice again, uncertain about his future.
But this was no ordinary team of doctors, and this was no ordinary little boy.
“Part of the joy of taking care of kids is that their resiliency, they don't know that they're supposed to be hurt. They don't know that they're not supposed to be able to never be able to speak again. And they're not supposed to be able to walk again," Mattix said.
“When you go from not knowing if he's ever gonna talk and the first thing he tells you that he loves you, that was big for me," Mat remembered.
Three years and countless procedures later, Corden continues to thrive.
“He amazes me every day, every day because he gets up every morning and he's happy. And you know, if you know at the time a 4-year-old can do it then he's 6 now. He's amazing," said stepmother Jennifer Inmon.
Not long ago, he reunited with the staff that saved his life.
“I think it just gives you that spark again, that this is what you worked so hard for," said Qaiser.
He was surrounded by the loved ones who never lost hope for him.
“We’re family," Corden said as he patted his father on the shoulder.
A boy who loves Spider-Man and Captain America, turns out, has a lot more in common with his idols than he could ever imagine.
“He’s my superhero," his father said.
“This child he has been more than a superhero. I think he’s better than Spider-Man,” Qaiser said.