What happened to Paralympian David Smith?

Paralympian David Smith became quadriplegic after his spinal tumor inexplicably doubled in size, pressing on his spinal cord.

What is David Smith's prognosis?

Doctors have given David Smith a prognosis of only four months to live due to the rapid growth of his spinal tumor.

How is David Smith coping with his diagnosis?

Despite his grim prognosis, David Smith maintains a hopeful outlook, focusing on the journey of life and striving to make others smile.

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Paralympian Given Months to Live After Spinal Tumor Doubles

13 Mar

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Summary

Paralympic gold medallist David Smith became quadriplegic suddenly.
A spinal tumor inexplicably doubled in size, pressing on his spinal cord.
Doctors have given the athlete a prognosis of only four months to live.

Paralympian Given Months to Live After Spinal Tumor Doubles

Paralympic gold medallist David Smith experienced a sudden and drastic change in his health on February 11, 2026. After returning from a trip to the Netherlands, he rapidly lost all feeling in his right arm, quickly becoming fully quadriplegic. This alarming paralysis was caused by a spinal tumor that had inexplicably doubled in size overnight, growing from 15mm to 30mm and pressing into his spinal cord.

Smith, who has a history of managing slow-growing brain tumors and a persistent spinal tumor since 2010, has been given a prognosis of only four months to live by the palliative care team. Despite this grim outlook, the 47-year-old Scot remains remarkably resilient and philosophical.