On Thursday, May 16th, Caiden Schmidt was on vacation in Destin, Florida with his friends and family. While enjoying the water and playing in the waves, a wave shoved Caiden into a sandbar, and he was unable to come back to the surface on his own. Luckily, his friends were with him and carried him to shore. He was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital and then immediately life-flighted to another hospital where he underwent a 9-hour surgery to repair two fractures (breaks) to his cervical spine (neck) and to cage and protect his spinal cord from further damage. His surgery was only the first step in a very, very long recovery process. He is young and strong, but long term effects are likely. With a medical transport back to Illinois and extensive physical rehabilitation expected, any amount is welcome as this family has a lot on their plate. Prayers are most appreciated, and any financial donations will be given directly to help with medical costs.