Rising Above: Man training for marathon to fundraise for Ironton family

IRONTON, OH (WOWK) – A man is going the distance for his friend after he suffered a traumatic brain injury seven months ago.

“Tommy is the type of person that would give you the shirt off his back,” said Chad Kelly, organizer of “Run for Tommy.” “He wouldn’t want someone to go out of their way for him, period. He was always the one helping, and that’s just the way it was. So, I think that’s one reason why this is kind of important.”

Tommy Woods, an Ironton native, is known for his musical skills, humor and generosity. That’s why his friend is stepping up and lacing his shoes, training for the Indianapolis Marathon to fundraise for Woods and his family.

“March 17, he suffered a neurological event. He fell down his basement steps. He landed on his head, and he laid there for an unknown amount of time,” Kelly said. “His condition was grave … They actually gave the family the option to do nothing. That’s how severe he was.”

For over a week, Woods’ family was told he wouldn’t survive. But when all hope seemed lost, things started changing for the better. That was until another setback, in the form of a seizure, left Woods back in the hospital. What his family didn’t know at the time was that the setback would turn out to be a blessing.

“When they got in there the second time, they took the skull flap off and they found a rare, super aggressive infection,” Kelly said. “The doctor said that would’ve probably killed him in a few days if they hadn’t found it.”

Months later, Woods is still missing part of his skull due to the infection, but he’s alive. His family said the recovery was nothing short of a miracle.

“To be able to sit here next to him today, knowing that seven months ago he really shouldn’t have survived, is the biggest blessing,” said Mackenzie Massie, Tommy Woods’ daughter.

To protect his head, Woods now wears a special helmet, sporting stickers from the Rock Hill Redmen where his grandson plays football. Once he started getting better, their field was one of the first places he visited to watch his grandson play. His family said it was a big moment in his recovery, but he still has a long way to go.

That’s why Kelly is raising money through an initiative called “Run for Tommy,” where people can donate to his marathon training. The family said support from the community has meant the world to them as they battled all the ups and downs of Woods’ recovery the last seven months.

“We’ll never be able to find words that will ever adequately explain how thankful we are for all the people that have showed up and all the people that continue to show up,” Massie said.

While Woods won’t be joining Kelly in running the Indianapolis marathon in November, he’s training for his own “marathon” as he continues on his journey to recovery.

“This is not a footrace. This is a marathon, and you have to take it slowly,” Woods said. “I can walk, it’s just that I’m not going to walk very far, so everything you do you have to go at a pace. You got here in no time, it takes forever to get back.”

If you’d like to donate to the cause, you can join the “Run for Tommy” Facebook page , to follow along with Woods’ recovery.

The Indianapolis marathon is scheduled for Nov. 9; Kelly said there will be a special donation initiative that day and more details will be available on their Facebook page.

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