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Help Hope Live for Mclaren Slifer

Mclaren dove into a wave… something we’ve all done at one time or another at the beach.

On July 4, in South Bethany with friends, Mac dove into a wave. He has no recollection of hitting anything, no scraps or bruises but he knew instantly, something was wrong. He held his breath as his friends realized he was injured and helped him from the water.

Updates (13)

March 24, 2026

my apologies for the long delay in updating... i just didn't know what to write.It took me until just recently to put a word to it.... grieving.Plain and simple. I (we've) been grieving.We are not where we'd hoped we'd be. We are here for all of it. We are Mac's support team... for all of it. We are doing our best to stay positive. Find the small joys. (Milo and Daphne are a big part of the daily smiles). And Us. Team Slifer. There is power in us.... and all of you who have generously and lovingly joined our team.your thoughts and love and light lift us MORE than you could ever know. I'll have more soon... we are digging into some of the science available at this time... and always praying for a cure.xoxo, Team Slifer#strongMF#BentNotBroken#ExpectNotOneMiracleButMany#SpinalCordInjurySurvivor#JaidensHome#CaelieHasntDecidedOnACollegeYET

December 7, 2025

Hello all, I’m long overdue for an update. But spinal cord injury continues to throw everything it has at, not only Mac, but our whole family and support team. We are now 5 months since Mclaren’s accident. He’s been home for just over 2 months and just last night we finally got him a REAL shower. It went far better than we anticipated… lol. We are working with a borrowed shower chair until his official one clears insurance.. picture a PVC adaptive beach cruiser with smaller wheels. It’s pretty hoopty but it got the job done. lol.He’s slept in his new room upstairs the last two nights and the dining room is being converted back to just that a dining room (or place to put all the crap)… and Tim’s home office. Next steps will be to personalize his new room and get him his PC step up and get that boy gaming and connecting with his friends while they are at school.The last two months at home have been hard… hence, my silence. It’s hard living through the hard parts and harder still to put that to paper to share. Now that we are back to outpatient and Mac is really working hard and making great strides to meet his goals; things feel a bit more optimistic.. or maybe purposeful is a better word. He’s had quite enough of Mom’s attempt a home workouts… lol.We are so humbled and grateful that #1 Mac was brave enough have a house full for Thanksgiving and #2 our family rerouted all the plans, cooked, packed and moved the holiday to our house so we could participate. #3 Jaiden could video in from Germany and ‘be’ here.These are things subconsciously in the back of our minds but then we’re confronted with the very real fact that Mac can’t go/get in to/ or move about in many of the homes/places he’s spent time in before the accident. His power chair gives him back mobility and some independence but it can not go everywhere… so neither can he/we.Another highlight of the last month is our visit with a new Physiatrist (PM&R -Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation). AND WE LOVED HIM! Mac, Tim & I were all able to go to the appt and all three gave an enthusiastic “thumbs up”. Which is a huge relief. This will be his main Dr. Monitoring all the things that we will need to do to support Mac’s recovery and therapies. We are still at Bryn Mawr Rehab for his outpatient PT and OT. But may consider the Magee Day Program for future therapies. Our goal is, and will always be, to keep Mac healthy and strong for when science finds the cure for spinal cord injury.We are watching the NVG-291 trials (we actually applied and were ready to move to Chicago for 20 weeks (i have NO IDEA how that would have worked) but if there was a chance we were taking it! But sadly, we missed the cut off by ONE DAY… it just leaves me to believe there is something better out there for him than a 50/50 chance of getting the treatment. Dancing molecules is another study we are following but they are further out from starting human trials, and of course, stem cells… please God, stem cells!We raised roughly 8k for GIVINGTUESDAY and are so very appreciative! These funds are helping us continue to renovate our home to be accessible almost everywhere for Mac, buy all the bits and pieces for Mac’s care that Medicaid will eventually cover (it’s been months since we’ve heard from them- they’re reply wass “it takes a while”), and finding all these interesting and clever tools to make Mac’s world a little easier and independent.Mac’s friends have designed and are selling Mac Merch.. or STRONGMF MERCH… proceeds will go to Mac’s continued care and what better way of joining the team than buying the merch!  https://team-slifer.printify.me/WE GOT OURS!! #TEAMSLIFEROur Mclaren, of course, has some connection to the McLaren Formula One race car. So the design implements the McLaren font, Exclusive McLaren color -Papaya Orange, and #81- Formula One’s McLaren driver Oscar Piastri. The additional story behind the #81 is that while we were in the Trauma ICU at Christiana we noted his bed was numbered #81. We took that as a positive sign. 🧡As always, we continue to be grateful for everyone’s thoughts and support… send all the light & love! And if you see me out in the wild, i’m accepting ALLL the hugs! There is power in our connection.XXOO XOXOXOTeam Slifer (Melissa)#ExpectNotOneMiracleButMany#BentNotBroken#StrongMF#SpinalCordInjurySurviver#SpinalCordInjuryRecovery#WeCanDoHardThings

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Guestbook

January 14, 2026

With love from the McIntosh family

Heather McIntosh

January 3, 2026

I’m holding Mclaren in my thoughts with hopes for strength, healing, and peace.”

Eric (Rick) Moskowitz

January 1, 2026

Sending positive thoughts- Cmilla and KOTH

Chris Miller