Landon Nordike

On April 15, the world of Millstadt couple Ryan and Nicole Nordike changed forever. 

Their son Landon had recently been complaining about headaches. The parents assumed it was nothing out of the ordinary, so they gave him ibuprofen. 

Then, the 5-year-old said he could not get out of bed that morning and could not walk because of his right leg.  

Thinking his leg had simply fallen asleep, the couple went to church like normal, but Landon’s leg problems continued. 

Soon, the couple realized their son could not control his right arm and leg. 

By that afternoon, they were at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

The doctors soon told the parents that Landon had a total of four strokes over the weekend before the one that caused such notable symptoms.

“I’ll never forget it,” Nicole said of that day. 

Since that first weekend, Landon has had eight strokes.

The couple, who also have a  baby named Emmy, has since learned Landon has multiple blocks on both sides of his brain. 

Because of the strokes, Landon has experienced seizures, mental problems, blood clots and personality changes.

“He was a very mellow 5-year-old,” Nicole said. “He was very obedient. He listened. Now, it’s kind of like the opposite. So we’ve had to adjust to him.”

Ryan also expressed similar thoughts on Facebook.

“At some point, no matter how big or small, your body just can’t keep having these without either causing permanent damage somewhere or even worse death,” he wrote. “We know as parents, though, these have changed our little superhero, which is the hard part.” 

The doctors have not yet found a diagnosis for Landon. They also do not know if the issues are hereditary.

They do know that it is rare for someone so young to have these problems.

“He’s such a rare case,” Nicole said. “Children’s (Hospital) has never seen anything like this before. So they’re just experimenting and trying to figure out what’s going on.” 

Doctors at Children’s Hospital have reached out to their colleagues at other hospitals to help discover what ails Landon. 

The family is also going to the Mayo Clinic in the near future. 

In the meantime, doctors have prescribed Landon with blood thinners. He recently switched to pills as opposed to shots because his body was not responding to the latter.

Landon also attends speech therapy and occupational therapy sessions. 

Although Nicole said the process has been difficult, she said it has been made easier by the community support the family has received. 

Individuals and organizations have put on several fundraisers. In June, for example, the Knights of Columbus in Cahokia and the Millstadt VFW Post 7980 each hosted trivia nights to benefit Landon. 

The first trivia night raised $8,000, while the second raised $7,000. 

Landon has also gotten help from his school, St. James Catholic School in Millstadt. The workers there had to monitor Landon for signs of stroke and make sure he did not exhaust himself through playing too rigorously.

Their efforts helped Landon graduate from pre-K in May. 

“It’s been wonderful,” Nicole said of the community support. “It was overwhelming at first but it’s been great.”

Outside of the local area, Landon has also received support from a celebrity he admires.

In April, a professional wrestler who performs under the name Elias filmed a video wishing Landon well and saying he hopes he can come to a show and “walk with Elias,” referencing his catchphrase.

“(Landon) has not stopped smiling and he said he will walk with Elias,” Ryan wrote on Facebook. “You…made us cry, but we can’t thank you enough, honestly. Great way to start the day.”

Because of this ordeal, Nicole said she wants people to understand how a seemingly benign issue can be something far worse.

“I want people to be aware that if your child has a headache, don’t just ignore it all the time,” she said. “Obviously, something major could be going on.” 

Going forward, Nicole said more fundraisers might happen to assist the family with medical expenses. For now, the couple has set up a benefit fund at First National Bank of Waterloo in Millstadt. 

To donate, tell someone at the bank you would like to donate to the Landon Nordike Benefit Fund. 

Those interested can also purchase a #LandonStrong T-shirt from Nicole for $18.