MEET
GAVIN SMITH

HIS STORY

In December 2021, Gavin's life changed forever after a night out in downtown Toronto. While walking back to his hotel from a sports bar, Gavin was shot directly through his chest. The bullet he was hit with missed his heart by centimetres, and directly punctured his lung. It also hit his T9 vertebrae. 

After being told he likely would not survive the night, Gavin miraculously woke up days later in hospital. When he woke up, he was told he was never going to be able to walk again. But that didn't sit well with Gavin. To the shock of everyone in his life, Gavin stood up on his own less than 2 months out from being shot in the spine. 

Now, 18 months into recovery, Gavin is walking with a leg braces and is hoping to walk again one day under his own power. He has spent hundreds of hours in rehabilitation through our funds raised. These resources combined with Gavin’s tenacious work ethic has allowed him to continually surprised every medical professional in his circle. We look forward to seeing Gavin continue to shock the world and walk under his own power one day in the not so distant future.

"One of the first things Gavin said to me when we spoke over Facetime is that he is happy that it was him and not his brother who was shot in their altercation. Gavin is truly selfless, and a hero. Over the past year we’ve had the chance to talk multiple times every week. During that time I’ve had the privilege of watching Gavin mature tremendously through one of the toughest situations any human being could go through. I cannot wait to watch him walk again one day. " - Brandon Peacock