Join My Campaign to Walk Again

Hello, Alii, Aloha kakou!

My name is Lydia Smith-Lenardson.  I am a Pacific Islander, a former teacher, choreographer, dancer, and network analyst who became paralyzed with a spinal cord injury from cancer treatment for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.  I’m calling out to the hearts and minds of friends, family, and folks everywhere and Join My Campaign to help me Get Back on My Feet!

My ultimate goals were to get treatment and rehabilitation in Minnesota at the Rejuv Medical Orthopedic Medicine Clinic and Fitness Center in St. Cloud and the Mayo Clinic spinal cord injury rehabilitation program in Rochester, get a standing power wheelchair and a portable power wheelchair to facilitate my recovery.  

But with the current health and economic crises, I've reevaluated the goals of this fundraiser and choose now to just ask for help with funding a portable power wheelchair, accessories, and shipping. 

* Look up my Portable Wheelchair details in my revised description below *

I'll continue to post updates here and on Facebook, with the progress I’ve made.  Donations will be used to offset uninsured medical equipment.  

Without a support network, my goals would truly be beyond my reach.

It's time to rejoin my hula family, to travel to Pacific island cultural festivals and other festivals around the world. Dance, music, theater, and art - virtually anything creative - have always been a part of me; in my heart, and in my blood.


A Brief History of How...

I became paralyzed.  

In 2000, I was a computer network analyst and an active member of a renowned Hawaiian dance school in the Washington, DC metro area (here’s a photo of me then).  Later that year, I became very ill and was treated for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma at the National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.  My life was turned upside down in October 2002 when a devastating effect from radiation cancer treatment caused the onset of paralysis.  

 I was wheelchair-bound by my 37th birthday in March 2003.

 Me in 2000

The doctors I’ve seen over the years were habitually inclined towards removing all hope, speaking with skepticism, concerned more with my insurance coverage than treating me as someone they cared about.  And because of my financial and transportation limitations, physical therapy was ineffective because therapists were inexperienced and ill-equipped to treat a spinal cord injury.

Since then I’ve turned to complementary therapies such as acupuncture, aromatherapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, naturopathic medicine, and nutritional support.  I am now certified in numerous healing modalities including acupressure, reflexology, emotional aromatherapy, and a Reiki Master-teacher.

So it’s been over 17 years since the onset of paralysis and a spinal cord injury from cancer treatment at NIH and in 2013 I was officially cured of lymphoma!

Every indication has shown the potential for significant improvement in function and mobility since there is no muscle atrophy, and blood tests and scans were normal over the years while I experience increasing nerve sensation in my legs and feet.

Even better news is that I have been off medication since 2004 and  I'm only taking medically necessary supplements!  That's unusual for a person with a chronic spinal cord injury.  

I credit that to all the love and support from friends and family, meditation and self-healing practices I've trained myself to do, eating well, and just enjoying life in the meantime, doing some of the things I've got a passion for. 

With Hula Sisters and former Hula Instructor, Leimomi Mabanta (far right), in Moreno Valley, California 2015



50 Years Old in Long Prairie, Minnesota 2016


Times have changed as patients worldwide are showing significant improvement with alternative therapies and advances in research and technology.  Scientists and engineers are making that possible now with spinal cord injury research, innovative intervention, physical conditioning, and exoskeleton technology.  One such example is Wings for Life Spinal Cord Research Foundation, wingsforlife.com, and Wings for Life World Run, wingsforlifeworldrun.com.

My Goals
Although I am grateful to have housing and help from some kind and generous neighbors, it's challenging living in a tiny rural town with very limited resources.  

The Draco Standing Wheelchair was another goal since standing a few hours a day has so many benefits for someone who is sedentary and in a seated position all day and night.  And it's the best electric standing wheelchair equipped with full functioning capability, wheelchair88.com/product/draco-standing-wheelchair. 

For now, my new goal is to get a portable power wheelchair with accessories and shipping.