A young boy who was thrown from a third-floor balcony at the Mall of America when he was five is now recovering well and boldly sharing how God saved him.
We all go through moments when life turns upside down without warning. One day everything feels normal, and the next, we’re crying out to God for a miracle.
It’s in those moments we realize just how much we need Him—not just for healing, but for strength, peace, and hope to take the next step.
Stories like this remind us that no matter how dark things get, God still hears, still moves, and still saves.
An Ordinary Day Turns Into a Nightmare at the Mall
In 2019, a woman named Kari Hoffmann brought her five-year-old son, Landen, to the Mall of America in Minnesota. They were standing near the Rainforest Cafe with a family friend, looking at a display, when a man named Emmanuel Aranda approached them.
Kari recalled the man said, “Oh no, you’re fine, you’re fine,” when she asked if they were in his way. But in the blink of an eye, Aranda picked up Landen, ran to the balcony, and threw him over the edge—40 feet down to the ground.
A Mother’s Cry for Help and the First Miracle
Kari immediately rushed down the escalators, screaming. “I cried out for God because I knew no person could save him, only God,” she told DailyMail.
Two nurses who witnessed the fall ran to Landen and began CPR. “They said he did not have a heartbeat and he had bones sticking out of his skin, and they got him back to life,” Kari said.
Fighting for His Life in the Hospital
Doctors rushed Landen to Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis. He stayed there for four months and underwent over 15 medical procedures.
He suffered broken bones, severe head trauma, and damage to his vena cava vein—the large vein that brings blood to the heart.
“It was a big, long journey,” Kari said. “It took time for him to be back to him… He had to learn who he was again.”
The trauma deeply affected Landen’s personality for a time. His frontal lobe, responsible for personality and social behavior, was injured.
Kari said he changed from sweet and kind to angry and withdrawn before gradually returning to himself. “So many miracles happened [since then],” she shared.
The Broken Leg That Saved His Life
One of the most striking moments came months into his recovery. While doctors were encouraging Landen to move around more, he broke his leg for a second time.
It seemed like a setback, but it turned out to be a lifesaving moment. That break led doctors to discover that his vena cava vein was barely holding together.
If he had walked any further on it, it could have killed him. “His leg broke a second time to tell us what it was,” Kari said. She calls it a miracle from God.
Despite the terrifying experience, Landen does not remember the fall itself—only his time in the hospital, which Kari made sure was positive. “He says he wants to go back to the hospital,” she shared.
He now continues therapy, including vision therapy to help control his eye movements and improve physical coordination.
Today, Landen is eleven and thriving. He plays hockey, enjoys time with friends, and even helps share the story of his recovery.
‘Miracle at the Mall’
Kari recently published a book titled ‘Miracle at the Mall’ to tell their journey. They returned to the hospital to give copies of the book to the nurses who helped save Landen’s life.
In one copy, Landen wrote a message that said, “God moves mountains” and “thanks for everything.”
Landen’s Faith Grows Strong
Landen often tells people, “God saved me. God’s real.” His faith has grown strong from the experience, and Kari continues to lean on prayer and trust in God. “I did what I always do and pray,” she said. “Pray first and fight for your life.”
Choosing Forgiveness Over Fear
Kari has forgiven Aranda, who is now serving a 19-year prison sentence. “This man didn’t know me, he didn’t know Landen. He didn’t want to hurt us. He was just there because he was mad and wanted to kill somebody,” she said.
Aranda, who had schizophrenia and had been banned from the mall before, told investigators he attacked because “a woman rejected his advances” and he was “looking for someone to kill.”
Moving Forward With Hope
Even though the family has moved forward, Kari said she still hasn’t returned to the Mall of America. “I don’t want to stand in that place again.”
Still, she insists what happened was not simply tragic—it was evil. “Nobody looks at this as a bad thing that happened to us, it was evil,” she said.
A miracle from God
From being declared without a heartbeat to walking, playing, and boldly witnessing about God—Landen’s life is nothing short of a miracle. He shows us how faith, prayer, and God’s mercy can work together in impossible situations.
Let Landen’s recovery remind us that even when evil strikes, God can bring beauty and healing out of the pain. We are never too far from His reach, and He still works miracles.
Let us keep praying for Landen’s continued recovery and for all families who carry the weight of such wounds.
You can read the full story of Landen’s journey in Kari Hoffmann’s book ‘Miracle at the Mall’, available on Amazon (Note: We may earn a small commission from Amazon if you purchase through this link, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting our ministry. ).
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