Landon Smith - Go the Distance

Life can change in a split second!  It did for our 18 year old son.   Our son, a vibrant, athletic, tall and handsome young man innocently jumped into a foam pit at a trampoline park on January 7, 2017 and broke his neck and suffered a life altering spinal cord injury. As his mother it has been the hardest thing to witness. I remember counting his toes, fingers and checking every inch of his healthy body when he was born before finally holding him close to me knowing he was perfect. 18 years later, just as he was starting to venture out in to the world on his own with a goal of becoming  a firefighter life changed and he is now considered a quadriplegic.  Shortly after his accident Landon started to explore and research from his hospital bed medical trials and came across one which was being conducted by the University of Miami. The FDA approved trial involves injecting Schwan cells into the injury site. The hope is that the Schwan cells will aid in reconnecting the nerves below the injury site; giving patients back some or much of their mobility.     We are thrilled to report that Landon has been accepted into the trial and will begin baseline testing October 15. As a participant Landon will live in Miami for 10 months.  Although his accommodations will be paid for, his living costs and the cost of a health care aid are not covered.  I have reached out to a health care provider in Miami who has indicated that the cost for a live-in aid will be $250 per day or $95 per hour for a nurse (which he will need two hours per day). Although we plan to stay with him for as long as we can, one or both of us has to work. The goal of this GoFundMe campaign is to shore up Landon’s bank account so he can stay focused and committed to the trial and be taken care of in our absence. The cost just to have an aid could be over $75,000 US. We are an average Canadian Family with a dwindling savings account and no formal pension plan to look forward to so sourcing $100,000+ in a year is impossible and we need your help. Landon has a dream of being on the Ellen show and I can see him dancing down the stairs with her. Participating in this trial is critical and I know Landon's success will help 1000's of others who will then be given the opportunity to have this procedure done immediately following a spinal cord injury.  This will be life changing! If you are able to and are willing, please consider making a donation. Our family wishes to thank you in advance for your support, prayers and donations. The Smith Family Please follow Landon on Instagram at @landonclarksmith