A painful recovery

By MARGIE TRAX PAGE - Staff Writer - mtrax@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

March 16, 2009 01:33 am

— Landon Spencer is counting down the days to his homecoming from the hospital like most 3-year-olds count down the days until Christmas.
Landon will return home next week after weeks of surgeries and rehabilitation following a flash fire at his Rome Township home.
Landon, his sister Alyssa, 7, and his father, Bill Spencer, were injured three weeks ago when a small bonfire ignited a plastic gasoline can, causing a flash fire, Rome Township Fire Chief Ed Koziol said.
Landon suffered severe burns on his face, neck, hands, arms and legs, family friend Jo Hannah Leyda said.
Bill Spencer also suffered severe burns on his face and body. Both underwent skin graft surgery last week. Bill Spencer may come home Tuesday, Landon will likely spend another week at the Cleveland Metro Health Medical Center, Leyda said.
“They are progressing and doing well,” Leyda said. “The area of grafting was not a huge area, but Landon was burned badly.”
Leyda said father and son will wear protective clothing for six months to prevent scar tissue from forming over the newly grafted skin.
“Overall, the family has had some hard days,” Leyda said. “Some days are just harder than others. This is a painful process of healing, a real daily struggle. Coming home is really the beginning of the next step of their recovery.”
A support fund for the Spencer family has been established at Huntington Bank, Leyda said. Donations can be made at any Huntington Bank branch.
Bill Spencer, an employee at Plastic Extrusion Technologies in Middlefield, has health insurance, but has had no income while in the hospital. His wife. Amy Spencer. has not been able to work at her part-time job since the accident, Leyda said.
“There are just a lot of things for this family to face,” Leyda said. “They are so unsure of the costs medically. Everything is 100 percent different for them right now.”
“Any support would be so appreciated,” she said.