Emily's House
Admin please remove if not allowed.
I have copied and pasted this from a Facebook post I made to various GBM groups I've been involved with. I have begun to seed this with my own funds, everything I sell non-firearm related in the TP will go into this as well as business donations that I normally make to some other charities. Also when the time comes, in lieu of flowers and that sort of thing the boys and I would rather donations be made here.
In January of 2019, our world was rocked with the diagnosis of Emily's GBM. Through all of the surgeries, biopsy, chemotherapy, radiation, Clinical Trial, pain, fatigue, sickness and worry, I have never heard or seen my wife complain, ask why me or anything of the sort. Instead, Emily has maintained who she is and continued to put others welfare, feelings and concerns ahead of her own. That is the essence of who this beautiful woman is.
As we have gone through this battle at MUSC in Charleston, SC and Duke in Durham, NC, I have paid attention to people we've met along the way. Observed those that we haven't met, talked to many others through this site and many other cancer and GBM sites. I've seen the posts about research and cures, alternative treatments, success stories and heartbreak stories. I've read blog after blog and broken down and cried like a baby over stories like Live Like *******.
I have asked myself repeatedly if there was anything else I could do other than impart the knowledge I have gained through our story, the research I have done and the results of Emily's various treatments. I looked at every aspect to see where a need is for GBM, DiPG and other cancers. While research and cure are at the forefront of needs, individual donations only account for a small part of the budgets and many of those funds are siphoned off for administration, staff and a host of other things not directly related to what our intentional giving is intended for. I have found very few that focus on one glaring need I see with families stricken with a cancer diagnosis, memories and enjoying time with our loved ones.
It is that need that I want to address. Emily is in her final stages of the battle with GBM and though I know I will lose her physically, I have vowed to keep her loving and wonderful spirit and care for others alive. I have prayed for 16 months that God above would lead me to make the right decisions and choices to honor her and glorify Him when the time came. A few weeks ago, that prayer was answered and an idea I'd been toying with began to gel and become a reality.
This reality is called Emily's House for short and is being set up as a 501(c)3 charity called the Emily Smith Foundation. Our goal (myself, family and a host of those who love my wife) is to set up all expense paid vacations to our town of Pawleys Island, SC to enjoy a week away from the stresses of cancer, treatment and the financial burdens many are devastated with so that they can enjoy themselves and make lasting memories while they can. We all know the statistics, we all know this disease can turn on a dime but we all carry a hope that there are better days ahead.
We are starting small but with luck and hard work, will hopefully grow the Foundation into something that can help a lot of people. We aren't ready to make selections or host yet as we are just getting things going. My ambitious hope is to be able to host the first family this fall or next spring at the latest. Soon we will have a questionnaire/application ready for interested parties to fill out an submit. Families with young children who either have a parent or child with GBM/DiPG, financially troubled and are more landlocked with little hope of seeing the coast are going to be at the top of the list.
My hope is to meet the families, prepare at least one meal a day consisting of freshly prepared local cuisine, take near shore fishing trips, river cruises and plenty of beach time. Also fellowship, guidance and just listening or offering whatever advice or learning I can.
I am not asking for donations from anyone, this is a heads up to be on the lookout for upcoming information if it could be something you are interested in or know someone that would be. We don't have all the answers yet but I have a team of people working hard to try and dot every I and cross every T in order to make this a reality.
I am also open to suggestions or avenues to make this better than what we are planning. So, feedback is welcome.
Thank you,
Mark Smith
Last edited by Saltydog235; 05-23-2020 at 12:05 PM.
Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? I wouldn't go so far as to call a dog filthy but they're definitely dirty. But, a dog's got personality. Personality goes a long way.
You might take out a dozen before they drag you from your home and skull fuck you to death. Marsh Chicken 6/21/2013
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