Fueling a future with Accessibility for All.
Our Process
We provide financial support to groundbreaking research to drive innovation to elevate the standard of care for spinal cord injuries. By supporting groundbreaking research today, we aim to immediately expand access to cutting-edge treatment and therapies to maximize mobility and quality of life, while building evidence to lay the groundwork towards finding a cure for paralysis.
On occasion, we fund select research projects with the aim to increase awareness about spinal cord injury and paralysis, its secondary health impacts, as well as costs, with the aim to inform policy and practice locally and nationally.
Our Why
Thomas Smith, our co-founder, is living proof of the power of groundbreaking research. He is the first person in medical history to be paralyzed three separate times and recover. He was injured while playing hockey and had a lifelong goal of playing professionally when he experienced his injuries. This was his unwanted hat trick.
Now, having made a one-in-a-million recovery after not walking for three years, Tom is a testament to the power of clinical innovation. Having gained access to cutting edge treatment and therapies throughout his recovery, Tom knows firsthand the power that access can mean for unlocking the greatest possible health outcomes. He is living proof that when these innovative treatments are put into practice, outcomes once thought to be “impossible” can be achieved. His journey inspires our commitment to fund transformative research that offers people real-world impact today.
To learn more about our groundbreaking research portfolio, please contact us.
GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT: The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis
The Thomas E. Smith Foundation continues to support The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis’ groundbreaking research. Most recently, funding Dr. Matija Milosevic’s pioneering work that’s changing lives, one breakthrough at a time.
What We’re Supporting
This isn’t just another research project—it’s about giving people their lives back. Dr. Milosevic’s team is developing brain-computer interface technology that reads thoughts and translates them into movement for people with incomplete spinal cord injuries. Think of it as rewiring the connection between brain and body when injury has interrupted that vital pathway.
Real Progress, Real Results
The numbers tell a powerful story. Dr. Milosevic’s neuromodulation approach has achieved nearly an 85% success rate in helping improve damaged motor functions. That’s not just a statistic—that’s 85 out of 100 people getting closer to independence.
Our 2024 funding made critical equipment possible and supported both researchers and the brave individuals participating in these trials. Every dollar invested brings us closer to the moment when someone takes their first steps again.
What’s Next
This continuation funding supports the next phase: expanding the trial, refining the technology, and building toward larger studies that will benefit even more people living with paralysis. We’re not just funding research—we’re investing in hope, independence, and the belief that breakthrough science can restore what injury has taken away.
Why This Matters
For too long, people with spinal cord injuries have been told to accept their limitations. We refuse to accept that. Every grant we provide, every researcher we support, every trial participant who says “yes” to being part of something bigger—they’re all part of rewriting that story.
This partnership with The Miami Project represents our unwavering commitment: we won’t stop until we find ways to restore independence, improve quality of life, and ultimately, find a cure.
Together, we’re creating access to tomorrow’s breakthroughs today. And we’re stepping forward together—researchers, families, supporters, and survivors—toward a future where paralysis doesn’t define what’s possible.
Make a Difference Now!
Sustaining a paralyzing spinal cord injury is one of the most catastrophic medical conditions that we as humans can endure. That is why TESF is committed to funding the advancement of innovative treatments and groundbreaking clinical research by some of the leading medical institutions throughout the United States.
Please join the mission now. With your support, we can continue driving innovation, expanding access, and redefining possible for people affected by SCI and paralysis.
To date, TESF has invested $300,000+ to drive innovation and expand access to groundbreaking care and therapies.