Kylie's Kids: Meet Markus

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Markus Bachman is about as busy as you can be when you're 16 years old. He's involved in everything he can be a part of from bowling to piano, to his favorite: 4H.

Markus' voice is a little raspy because he was born with a rare condition where his trachea and esophagus never separated at birth -- instead they were just one tube.

Despite spending a lot of time in the hospital growing up, he's managed to find his perfect community.

It's not very often you're allowed to bring pets into Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, but Markus got special permission from the doctors.

"It took us a while to figure it out," Markus said. "But eventually we were able to get through all the crazy loops."

A little love from his favorite rabbit, Diamond, just might help him get out of the hospital quicker.

"I know it's just temporary, but when you can't see your animals it can be hard," Markus said.

Right now, Markus is battling a case of pneumonia.

"I have it in both lungs right now," Markus said. "It's tough you know, but it's how it is."

Markus is no stranger to the hospital. He had surgery at 12 hours old for an extremely rare condition.

"The short term is LTE," said Markus.

The long version is long: Laryngotracheoesophageal Cleft, Type 4. You can understand why even Markus and his family can't pronounce it.

There's not a lot of information on LTE, but they do know it has a 97 percent mortality rate and Markus is one of a few long-term survivors.

"My family and I have been so thankful I've been as healthy as I have been," Markus said.

When Markus is home, he's taking care of five rabbits and a dog. He even breeds his rabbits and shows them at the State Fair.

"They're my life because I can't do a whole lot of physical activity," Markus said.

He's found a sport he can be a part of: bowling. He's even on the High School Bowling Team.

"I love it," said Markus. "I love bowling."

Then there's his favorite: 4H.

"I love it," said Markus. "I've made some friends. Just the 4H community in general is so friendly. It's a relief sometimes when you can go into a place and you're not judged. It's one of the best things I could've done for myself."

Markus also loves to play the piano. He said Contemporary Christian is his favorite because it brings comfort, hope, and keeps him focused on his faith when he's feeling sick.

A note from Kylie: In the video you can see me wearing a gown, mask and gloves while visiting with Markus. This is to protect him from any outside germs I might bring into the hospital room.