A somber tune fell over a South Carolina neighborhood as a family laid out your usual festive birthday party decorations on Saturday. However, the birthday boy was not present. Instead, Landon Dyson, 5, was battling for his life in a local hospital following a fateful incident on Friday afternoon. The family is now asking for prayers for Landon’s recovery.
According to local Highway Patrol, Landon was tragically hit by an SUV at approximately 3:20 p.m. on Palomino Drive near Old Converse Road in Spartanburg. Law enforcement reported that the driver of a 2011 Chevrolet SUV, operating a motor vehicle without a license, struck Landon when he stepped into the road from behind a legally parked vehicle.
Today, where jovial birthday revelry should have occurred, heartache and fear now reside. Landon’s family relayed that the tragic event had the young boy dragged several feet down the road in the upmarket residential area. David Lee, Landon’s grandfather, was within earshot and rushed to the scene. He described the incident saying, “I was cleaning siding, and suddenly there was this horrific screaming and hollering.”.
Landon was promptly transported in a critical condition to Greenville Memorial Hospital where he was met by a host of medical professionals. The boy was in a medically induced coma which was lifted on Monday. Landon’s extensive injuries necessitate copious amounts of pain medication, several bouts of surgery, and skin grafts for significant abrasions to his arm and head.
In spite of the heartbreaking circumstances, Lee praised the diligent efforts of the staff at Greenville Memorial’s Children’s Hospital. “They had a big team here waiting on him when he got here and made it into surgery,” he added.
For Landon, instead of indulging in cake and presents, his actual birthday on Tuesday, April 23 will be marked by further medical procedures and recovery efforts.
The family has set up a GoFundMe to cover Landon’s ominous medical expenses. In addition to financial aid, the family reached out to the community and the nation, asking for prayers for Landon’s recovery.
The incident has left the family additionally distressed as they revealed they had previously been seeking to have precautionary signage installed in their neighborhood. The impact of this tragedy has heightened their advocacy for speed control and cautionary navigation in residential zones. Their eventual aim is to prevent any further tragic incidents to children in the area.
Despite the circumstantial darkness, Landon’s family is standing hopeful and brave, leaning on the support of their community for their youngest member as they face together the uphill path ahead.
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