Community Support Continues for Paralyzed Wrentham Teen
By Marjorie Turner Hollman
The Gibson family in Wrentham is facing a future that most of us think will never happen to us. The single car accident December 14 that left King Philip Regional High School junior Landen Gibson paralyzed from the waist down has changed the future for him and his family. It has also changed the perspective of many in the community. They have moved from, “It will never happen to me,” to “This is someone we know and care about. What can we do to help?”
Landen’s aunt Rigena (Gena) Gibson has set up a GoFundMe page to offer the community a way to channel their concern in a constructive direction. Landen’s family lives in a second-floor apartment and will need to move into a first-floor apartment or house that can have a ramp. They will also need a handicapped vehicle for transport, and many other accommodations to support him and his family as they face an uncertain future.
Tina, his mother, is the sole support of their family and will be unable to work for months, depending on what Landen’s prognosis is. They are working to figure out how to live in a world that, for them, has been turned upside down.
Landen’s eight-hour surgery at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence was a success, and he has been transferred to the Spaulding Spinal Cord Rehabilitation facility in Charlestown, MA, where he will be for an unknown amount of time. His aunt Gena noted that their family is familiar with life in a wheelchair.
“Our dad lost both his legs to diabetes before he died in 2019. But Landen is so young. It’s a different thing when your life is in front of you,” said Gena.
She continued, “It could be so much worse—we are grateful we have him with us, and it is still overwhelming. It’s a long road, not just for recovery, but for understanding, and a drastic change in lifestyle.”
We never know what each day will bring, but for Landen and his family, that uncertainty has been amplified as they deal with the reality that today, they need the community’s help. The GoFundMe page (link below) will provide funds that will all go directly to Landen’s care and future needs.
We often feel helpless as we read news reports of tragedies around the world. In the case of Landen Gibson and his family, they are right around the corner from many of us.
Gena Gibson stated, “We are overwhelmed by the community’s response to this tragedy. My sister and her family are relatively new to the area, and so many people have reached out with concern and support.”
To help make a difference for the family, here’s the link to the GoFundMe page:
In addition, a meat raffle fundraiser will be held on February 18 at Dona Ana Meat & Seafood Market in Norfolk, with 100% of the net proceeds going to the Gibson family, and to the families of two other teens, Plainville residents, also injured in the accident.
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