Help Hope Live for Tanner LaMagna
Tanner is a vibrant, adventurous young man whose life changed in an instant when he sustained a C5 spinal cord injury in a BMX racing accident. One moment he was chasing the finish line, the next he was facing the fight of his life.
Tanner has undergone multiple surgeries, countless hours of therapy, and long hospital stays — but through it all, his determination and sense of humor have remained unshakable. He is learning to navigate a completely new way of living, relying on medical equipment, specialized therapies, and adaptive technology to regain as much independence as possible.
Updates (6)
July 22, 2026
This is a story about a boy and a fish.To some people, it’s just a fish.But to this boy…It meant the world.Friday evening we headed to the Beaverhead River. On the drive there, Tanner asked if there was a chance he could catch a cutthroat trout. Dave smiled and told him it would be really difficult. Cutthroat trout are native fish and can be elusive, especially when you’re learning a new river and an entirely new way to fly fish.When we arrived, Tanner and I stayed in the air conditioning while Jesse Alberi, the guides, Dave, and Dom got everything ready. Dom and I would fish from one drift boat while Dave and Tanner would be in another.I’ll be honest… I was nervous.The boat launch was steep, and all I could think about was how they were going to safely get Tanner into the boat and down the ramp. Jesse assured us all would be fine.He was right.Tanner backed his travel chair up to the boat. Dave and one guide lifted from below while two others lifted from inside the boat. They carefully transferred him into the drift boat, ratcheted his chair securely to the front, and then eased down the launch. Afterwards, Dave and Tanner agreed it was fine! Meanwhile, Dom and I floated down the river with our guide, fly rods in hand. We didn’t catch a single fish… unless you count catching each other’s lines a few times. We laughed, admired the breathtaking Montana scenery, and simply enjoyed being together on the river.Over in the other boat, Tanner borrowed a special brace from Shepherd Center that attached the fly rod to his arm. He, Dave, and their guide spent time figuring out the best way to make it work. Tanner held the rod while Dave helped support some of the weight and assisted with casting.They figured it out.Together.Three bites.Then one fish.A beautiful cutbow trout, a naturally occurring hybrid between a cutthroat trout and a rainbow trout. It fought hard, nearly stripping all the line before they finally brought it to the boat.Tanner had tears in his eyes and he gave his Dad the biggest hug. And in that moment…The sparkle was back.As a parent, there are moments you tuck away forever. Watching your child light up again, seeing a joy you’ve seen before, but somehow on an even deeper level means more than words can describe.It means the world.Not because he caught a fish.Because he rediscovered a piece of himself.Before his injury, fishing wasn’t just something Tanner enjoyed. It was part of who he was. If we were anywhere near water, he had a fishing rod in his hands. On vacations he’d fish from sunrise until dark if we’d let him. After his injury, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever get to do it again.Friday answered that question.This fish wasn’t just a fish.It was possibility.It was hope.It was confidence.It was proof that he can still do the things he loves.Dave and Tanner didn’t catch that fish alone.They caught it together.A father and son learning, adapting, problem-solving, and celebrating side by side.And that’s a memory neither of them will ever forget.Later that evening, Tanner quietly looked at me and thanked me for applying for the trip through High Fives Foundation. Jesse Alberi, his incredible crew of guides, and the generous donors who make weekends like this possible are doing something so much bigger than taking kids fishing.They don’t just put a fish on a line.They put hope on the line.They give kids the confidence to believe in themselves again.They give families moments they weren’t sure they’d ever experience again.They remind these kids that their passions don’t have to end because of a spinal cord injury. Sometimes they just look different.They give them a reason to dream again.And that is a gift that can’t be measured.So no…This wasn’t just a story about a fish.It was about a boy who wondered if one of his greatest passions was behind him.A dad who never stopped believing.A group of people who refused to accept “you can’t.”And a family that left Montana believing, more than ever before, that life after a spinal cord injury can still be full of adventure, purpose, and joy.To some, it’s just a fish.To us…It was everything.
July 13, 2026
Today marks one year since Tanner’s accident. One year since the moment that divided our lives into before and after.It’s hard to put everything I want to say into words. How do you sum up a year that has held the absolute worst moments of your life and, somehow, some of the most beautiful ones too?Today, we celebrate life.We celebrate the fact that Tanner is still here. That we still get to hear his laugh, see his smile, listen to his sarcasm, watch him dream big, and witness him fight like hell for the life he wants.This year has been hard in ways I could never fully explain. There has been grief. Anger. Fear. Exhaustion. So many tears cried behind closed doors. There have been battles for equipment, therapy, support, and access to the things Tanner needs. There have been moments when the weight of everything felt almost impossible to carry.We have grieved pieces of the life we had before July 13, 2025. We have missed the simplicity of before. Before wheelchairs. Before hospitals. Before we knew medical terminology we never wanted to learn. Before every outing required planning. Before we had to fight so hard for things most people never have to think twice about.But there has also been so much good.There has been laughter...so much laughter. New adventures. New friendships. Incredible experiences. Small victories that feel enormous. Progress measured in inches that means more to us than miles ever did before.And there have been people.People from our hometown. People from the BMX community. People from the SCI community. People from Shepherd Center. Friends. Family. Complete strangers. People from all over the world who have prayed, donated, sent cards, shared Tanner’s story, offered connections, provided equipment, opened doors, and simply reminded us that we are not walking this road alone.Some people showed up in the beginning and drifted away. Others have quietly and consistently continued to show up, month after month, long after the initial shock faded. And new people continue to enter our lives at exactly the moments we seem to need them.To every single person who has shown up for our boy: thank you. You have carried us more times than you will ever know.This year has somehow gone by in the blink of an eye and moved painfully slow at the exact same time.We are still learning. Still adjusting. Still grieving. Still laughing. Still fighting. Still hoping. Still figuring out what this life looks like.Tanner’s injury changed so much.But it did not change who he is.He is still Tanner. Still funny. Still stubborn. Still determined. Still dreaming big. Still living life wide open, just in a different way than any of us ever imagined.Today, it’s raining here in Atlanta. Maybe that’s fitting. Maybe the rain is washing away some of the pain we’ve carried this past year. Not the memories, we’ll carry those forever, but some of the heaviness. Making room for more hope, more healing, and whatever comes next.So today, on the anniversary of the day that changed everything, we choose to celebrate.We celebrate the hard things we survived.We celebrate the happy moments we never saw coming.We celebrate every bit of progress.We celebrate every person who has stood beside us.And most of all, we celebrate Tanner.One year later, our lives may look completely different than they did before.But our boy is here.And today, that is everything.One year down. A lifetime ahead. Life Wide Open.
Photo Galleries (1)
Guestbook
May 30, 2026
Go Tanner! We all love you!
Diane DeYoe
October 27, 2025
Praying for you and your family every day.
Anita Baker
October 9, 2025
You got this Tanner!! -Mary from Canandaigua
Mary Welsh
