Our brother Max survived a devastating paragliding accident, and while we are endlessly grateful he’s alive, he now faces a long and uncertain road to recovery. His life changed in seconds at the Point of the Mountain Flying Park in Draper, Utah, but thanks to nearby fliers who acted immediately, help arrived within minutes.

Max is alive, alert, and fighting hard.

When he reached the hospital, doctors discovered extensive injuries: severe traumatic fractures at L2, L3, L4, and L5, including burst fractures at L2 and L3, pedicle fractures on both sides of L4, and another on the left side of L5. These injuries caused kyphotic deformity, severe spinal stenosis, and major nerve-root compression, which is why he initially lost movement. His spinal cord sac was torn and severely compressed, requiring an extremely delicate emergency surgery to relieve the pressure and repair as much of the damage as possible.

He made it through that first major surgery, and here’s what we know so far:

His spine has been straightened and stabilized with screws.

The spinal cord has been repaired and is intact.

All nerves except one were preserved; the surgical team believes the missing one may be sensory, but time will tell as healing continues.

Max has already shown movement in his toes, and more movement returned after surgery. His doctors are hopeful this progress will grow.

This is only the beginning. Max will need additional surgeries to place rods and complete the stabilization. After that, he’ll begin a slow, intensive journey of physical therapy and rehabilitation. As his surgeon told us, “slow is good and fast is bad.” Recovery from something this serious takes immense patience, strength, and support.

Who Max Is

If you know Max, you know he lives for the outdoors. He’s always in the Cottonwood Canyons hiking, climbing, or exploring — or at the Draper Flying Park doing what makes him happiest. He is steady, kind, adventurous, and the type of person who shows up for everyone he cares about. Now, we’re hoping the community he has loved so deeply can rally around him.

Why We’re Asking for Help

Max won’t be able to work for a long time. We’re raising funds to help cover:

Monthly living expenses (rent, utilities, essentials)

Hospital bills and ongoing medical care

The extensive physical therapy and rehabilitation he will need to regain mobility and independence

Your support will give Max stability during the scariest and most uncertain chapter of his life.

If you prefer to give directly, donations can also be sent via Venmo: @james-goodro.

From our entire family: thank you for your love, generosity, and prayers. Any contribution helps — and if you’re unable to donate, simply sharing this page makes a tremendous impact. Your support means more to us than we can express.