Ten-year-old Landen Wilfong is on a serious mission. He wants to raise $10,000 to find a cure for cystic fibrosis (CF) in honor of his best buddy, Oliver Pleune, but he needs you, Smarty Charlotte, to get involved. He’s raising money with the upcoming 4th Annual Fashion Breathes Life event, which was started by Jill and Ben Pleune in an effort to find a cure for their son and the thousands of other people affected by CF. Landen (along with other local Charlotte fashion faves) will be strutting his stuff on the runway during this year’s event and will, no doubt, be able to hold his head up high knowing he has made such a difference to so many.
Oliver and Landen are both fourth graders at St. Gabriel Catholic School. Read more about their story below and find out how you can get involved.
Here’s what Landen’s mom, Shelley, says:
When Landen and Oliver were around 5 years old, they became fast friends on the sidelines of their older brothers’ basketball games. Instantly they had a blast together and mostly spent in a state of constant laughter. As soon as sports began for them, they would always request to be on the same teams. Despite not ever being placed together in the same class at St. Gabriel, they have always made a point to stay close. They have even made plans to be roommates when they go to college at UNC, including plans for all the hundreds of pets they will own.
When my husband, Shawn, participated in the CF Xtreme Hike, Landen started asking questions about how he could help raise money for CF as well. He has taken a huge interest in Cystic Fibrosis and what that means for Oliver. He wants to know all about Oliver’s treatments and the things he must endure each day to remain healthy. Recently, Oliver needed to stay in the hospital for several days. It was the first time he was able to stay in Charlotte at Levine Children’s Hospital. This was huge news for us because it meant we could visit regularly!
After our first visit to see Oliver, Landen’s inquisition regarding CF increased mainly around how he could help make this better for Oliver. He mentioned getting his class to make get well cards. This rapidly turned into a personal mission to get the entire school to make cards. Each day Landen would run to the car after school with armloads of new cards and a beaming smile! We would immediately go for a hospital visit to drop off the new collection. The smiles that these cards brought to Oliver has fueled Landen’s mission to continue making it better for Oliver and for all kids with CF. The money he raises will not only help to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis, but it will continue to fuel the fire that has only just begun for this ten-year-old. We can’t wait to see where his huge heart will take him!
How you can help:
Click here for more information on the event. Although tickets to Fashion Breathes Life are sold out, you can still help find a cure for CF. Click here for Landen’s fundraising page. (You can also get on the event’s waiting list by calling the office at 704.321.7852!)
