Heroes Spotlight: Family and Music Make for Miraculous Recovery

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic raged across the globe, and hit close to home for Jim Landsman’s family. The New Smyrna,  Florida resident contracted the virus and ended up in the ICU. He was on a ventilator for 11 days, and his family feared the worst.

The situation was especially difficult for Landsman’s daughter, Jordyn, who always saw her father as a pillar of support.

“[There are] many times I can reflect on when I felt lost, I could go to him for direction or comfort and solace,” she said. “Whenever my world is crashing, I always looked at him for stability.”

As Landsman’s wife tried to get updates from the hospital, Jordyn and her brother wanted to do something special for their dad.

They reached out to their father’s favorite music group, Dave Matthews Band, on multiple fan accounts associated with Dave Matthews, including their official Instagram account, sharing their father’s story and health condition. 

“[My] dad loves Dave Matthews Band, and we thought it would be cool if we could get a video from Dave to share with my dad when he wakes up,” Jordyn said. 

As they awaited a response, the band’s music still played a key role in Landsman’s recovery. Coincidently, his nurse was also a“DMB” fan, and she saw Jordyn’s Instagram post about her dad, and her request to play Dave Matthews Band music for him in the hospital instead of the news.  The nurse reached out to Jordyn and made a connection over their music. Later, they would go to a Dave Matthews concert together.

And the nurse also granted her request and played some DMB songs for her dad as he laid in his hospital bed.

“They played Dave Matthews music, telling me to come out of my coma, and come back to the world,” Landsman said. 

And it worked! Landsman, though delirious from medication, woke while thinking his nurses were playing tricks on him. And while his favorite band brought him out of his coma, it was his family that helped him recover. Facetiming with them as he recovered gave him motivation to keep going.

“That is what helped me survive,” he said. 

Another motivator arrived in the form of messages that came in not just from the Dave Matthews Band, but from people all over the world.

“A couple of the members, including Dave, sent my dad a video for when he woke up out of his coma,” she said. “The saxophonist had also sent videos, and so the day he came home we were able to share that with him. It was just incredible.” 

Even the Chicago Cubs (the Landsmans’ favorite baseball team), announced a get-well message at a game. 

When Landsman was discharged from the hospital 28 days later, he left with a greater appreciation for life. The doctors believed he survived because of his physical fitness and the fact that he was an avid runner.

His Daughter had received texts from DMB fans who were following her dad’s story through the fan accounts. When Landsman heard about all the people wishing him well, he realized how compassionate people are. 

“When you take time in life and start to wonder about the human spirit, it gives you a little more faith in people when they are so giving,” Landsman said. “[My daughter] was getting texts from [DMB fans from] all over the world, checking in to see how I was.”

After doing physical therapy and re-learning how to walk, he’s back on his feet, training for the 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon with his daughter as Mercy Home Heroes. The two have some experience running marathons. Landsman ran the Lasalle Bank Chicago Marathons in 1995 and 1997. And Jordyn ran the Space Coast Marathon last year. And they hope to help each other cross the finish line this year. 

Jordyn was a former teacher and has a passion for working with kids. She chose to run with Mercy Home because of our mission to give kids a better life and a safe place to live. Her father felt drawn to our mission because of his own childhood experience being raised by a struggling single mother. 

Jim and Jordyn Landsman are excited to take to the Chicago streets in support of our kids this October. The father-daughter team just finished a 16-mile run together, and many DMB fans are following their journey up until marathon day and are showing great support. 

When Landsman and Jordyn cross the finish line, they will do so having made memories together and with an appreciation of how far they have come since the Covid infection that nearly took Landsman’s life. They are truly a great example of endurance, resilience, and showing our kids that anything is possible!