The Timmy Mathisen Fund

The Timmy Mathisen Fund was created by The Thomas E. Smith Foundation (TESF) in support of Timmy Mathisen, who suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury on July 3rd, 2025.

The Timmy Mathisen Fund at The Thomas E. Smith Foundation is aligned with our mission to better the lives of people living with spinal cord injury and paralysis. Rooted in our commitment to improve quality of life, the fund supports Timmy's recovery through financial and emotional support.

The Board of The Thomas E. Smith Foundation will determine and adjust how the funds will be spent in accordance with the organization's charitable purposes, in consultation with the family, and will support medical and rehabilitation, equipment, accessibility renovations, and other necessities not covered at all or quickly enough by insurance or other means.

If ever the Board and the family determine that the Fund is no longer necessary, the balance of the Fund will revert to support the mission of The Thomas E. Smith Foundation to ensure that people affected by paralysis have access to quality of life and to support innovation to one day find a cure.

The Thomas E. Smith Foundation welcomes contributions to the Fund of any kind. Checks can be made payable to The Thomas E. Smith Foundation and mailed to P.O. Box 46, Marblehead, MA 01945. Please note the Timmy Mathisen Fund on the memo line.

More about Timmy's story

On July 3^rd, just a few months after returning home from serving in the Army, Timmy Mathisen (23yrs old) suffered a life changing spinal cord injury. He spent 5 weeks at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the ICU, followed by several months at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston where he began the uncertain and difficult path of healing and recovery. This will include extensive inpatient/outpatient rehab as well as ongoing care and home modifications. Currently, Timmy is continuing that rehabilitation at the West Roxbury VA Hospital, awaiting home modifications to be completed.

Upon arriving home from the Army, Timmy had enrolled in college classes and completed the EMT course in pursuit of fulfilling his career goal of becoming a firefighter. He was also eagerly looking forward to picking up his lacrosse stick again. A lifelong athlete, Timmy excelled and rose to the top of the pack regardless of the field, ice or court he was playing on. His contributions both as a player and later coaching youth in both of his hometowns of Scituate and Marshfield showed his passion and commitment and brought him some of the greatest joy of his young life. Always up for anything; playing pick up sports of any kind, weekends away, concerts, or just simply hanging out with family and friends, Timmy is one of those people that is just easy to be around and loved by so many. Consistent feedback from coaches over his many years of playing sports, describe him as a natural leader, a team player with exceptional skill and an incredible work ethic. Timmy is the player a coach wants to have the ball in his stick at the end of a close game. His agility and ability to see those around him and do what is in the best interest of the team in high pressure moments is a great strength.

Right now Timmy needs to know his team is behind him. He is up against the toughest competition he has ever faced. He is fighting to get his life back. What that life will physically look like is yet to be determined. As with most spinal cord injuries, so much is unknown about the future. What we do know is that Timmy is young, strong, and determined to fight. We also know that SCI recovery is long and very expensive. We are reaching out to individuals, businesses and corporations near and far asking for donations to help us give Timmy his best shot for recovery both now and in the future which includes access to the best resources and treatments available. And we can’t do this alone. Timmy and his family are already so appreciative and truly humbled from the outpouring of love and support they have received from friends and family.

Timmy is an exceptional young man who served our country, and is very grateful to the communities that helped raise him. He is leaning on his faith and God’s strength to help him navigate and overcome the challenges that lie ahead. We are hoping to show Timmy he has an army of support so he never feels alone on this journey. All contributions to this fund are tax deductible, as The Thomas E. Smith Foundation is a 501(c)(3) Public Charity. See information below. 100% of your contribution will go the the Timmy Mathisen Fund.

Please know that Timmy and his family are so deeply grateful for your generosity, your prayers and your encouragement during this extremely difficult and life altering time.

The Timmy Mathisen Fund

The Timmy Mathisen Fund at the Thomas E. Smith Foundation