TANNER’S JOURNEY: Counting Our Blessings

Life can change in the blink of an eye, and that’s exactly what happened to our family on March 30, 2024.

My 15 year old nephew, Tanner, experienced a tragic accident while traveling out-of-state with his family during Spring Break.

Tanner fell approximately 40 feet into a ravine, resulting in multiple fractured vertebrae in his mid-back, some fractured ribs, and an injury to his heart. At that time, our hearts were injured as well.

Due to the severity of his injuries, Tanner was immediately air-lifted by helicopter to the closest trauma hospital.

There we learned Tanner's spinal cord was severed, causing paralysis from his waist on down.

When Tanner's team of doctors determined his heart was stable enough, an emergency surgery was performed to stabilize his spine so he could be transferred closer to home.

After a week, and even though Tanner remained in intense pain, he and my sister Anissa flew in a medical jet to Chicago. Pain management was addressed as he heals internally and from his surgery. Tanner also began very extensive occupational, physical, and psychological therapy.

Tanner is learning how strong he really is, both mentally and physically. He greatly appreciates his family and friends, and truly knows how much he is loved. Additionally, Anissa continues to remain at the hospital with Tanner, seeing to his every need, speaking with doctors, meeting with other parents, working with the insurance company, and generally learning what it is like to be the parent of a child with a different set of abilities. Brian and family members have already started making modifications to their home.

We have choices to make every day, and our entire family is choosing to remain positive! We will continue to do everything possible to support Tanner, Anissa, Brian, and Caela, and we will prevail! We are all choosing to focus on moving forward by healing, learning, growing, and thriving together!

We all know, with great certainty, that God has Great plans for Tanner, and that's why he is still here with us today.

We are praying hard for Tanner's complete recovery, but we are also preparing for Tanner's return home by focusing on his current abilities. They are very different pre- and post-paralysis.

We are sharing Tanner's story to explain why we are asking for financial help. It is a way to make this transition easier for Tanner and his immediate family. Many unexpected costs have accumulated very quickly, including medical bills, specialized equipment, travel expenses, changes in modes of transportation, and home modifications.

We understand this road will not be easy, but with the love, support, guidance and prayers of family and friends, we are prepared to meet and overcome each of these challenges.

From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you and appreciate your help.

Leanna and Shawn Boylstein

Tanner, Anissa, Brian, and Caela Smith

The Gary Graham Family

Loretta and Wendy Garwood

The Jim Smith Family