North Texas boy who was nearly paralyzed meets soccer idol Landon Donovan

ALLEN, Texas - A young North Texas boy who was nearly paralyzed in an accident last year got to meet his soccer idol on Sunday.

Landon Rampy got to meet soccer star Landon Donovan, who was in town with the San Diego Sockers to play the Dallas Sidekicks at the Allen Events Center.

The 4-year-old is actually named after his favorite soccer player.

His parents say they were just hoping for a quick photo, but their family was invited into the locker room for some one-on-one time with Donovan.

Donovan is a four-time U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year, who’s made multiple appearances in the World Cup for the U.S. National team, and holds several Major League Soccer records.

Rampy’s parents said this was special because it's been nearly a year since their son was almost paralyzed in a serious accident at his fourth birthday last summer.

He fell off a swing and landed on his lower neck and upper back, tearing two ligaments in his neck, and just barely missing other major areas in his spine which may have paralyzed him if they were damaged.

His parents said he was confined to a brace until October, and he recently got the all-clear to participate in his favorite sports again, like soccer.

“A whirlwind. I actually emailed them and didn’t expect anything out of it. We just wanted to snap a photo with him and they ended up doing something special and contacting the Sidekicks,” Landon Rampy’s father, Kyle Rampy, said. “So this is above and beyond what we thought would happen.

The family walked away with some autographs to remember the day.

Landon’s parents said he got the all-clear from doctors in February, and with that, they're hoping to get their son back playing sports as soon as possible.