Boy thrown from Mall of America balcony returns home after nearly 5 months in the hospital
After almost 5 months of intensive and rehabilitative care, the 5-year-old boy who was thrown from a third floor balcony at the Mall of America in Minnesota in April is finally home.
The family of the boy -- identified only as Landen -- shared the good news on their GoFundMe page, which has raised more than $1 million to support Landen in his recovery.
“We are pleased to share that our son completed his inpatient rehabilitation and is now home. We are so thankful, and we rejoice in the Lord’s blessings to our family,” the family said in a statement posted by family friend Noah Hanneman.
“We continue to ask that His healing powers guide us and our son’s care team as we enter the next phase of recovery, which includes continued outpatient rehabilitation for multiple injuries and adjusting to life back at home and school,” the statement continued.
Landen was moved from the intensive care unit into an inpatient physical rehabilitation program in early August indicating that he was making progress with his recovery, according to a statement from his family on GoFundMe.
The injuries Landen suffered after he fell almost 40 feet in the unprovoked attack were vast.
“The injuries and severe complications have now resulted in more than 15 separate medical procedures or surgeries, including surgeries for two broken arms and a broken leg, removal of his spleen, procedures for fluid in his lungs and stomach, as well as for facial and skull fractures; and just this past weekend, he had a stent placed in a vein that runs through his liver because of the serious complications he continues to endure,” Hanneman said on June 25.
The man responsible, Emmanuel Aranda, pleaded guilty to premeditated first-degree murder in May and agreed to a plea deal of 19 years in prison according to ABC affiliate KSTP. Aranda said that he was “looking for someone to kill, but it did not ‘work out,’” according to a probably cause document.
Aranda filed notice last Friday to appeal his case to the Minnesota Court of Appeals, according to the Associated Press.
In spite of what Landen has gone through so far, Hanneman was grateful for all of the support the boy has received in the latest update on GoFundMe.
“Thank you to all of you who prayed for us and loved us during the past 4 1/2 months. You helped to give us hope and show us the Glory of God’s great love here on earth even during the darkest of days,” he said.
