vio wrote:
A friend's cherished magnolia had to be taken down earlier this year.
Now, there are about six stems sprouting from the trunk -- about 2 feet
high. Is there any chance one of these could be coaxed back into a
tree? The original was planted to mark a child's birth, so it would be
pleasing if the tree could be "reborn" in this way.

This is a bonsai technique called "trunk chopping." IT should grow
back just fine. How big is the stump?