Help Taylor and Ezra Smith Through This Fight

My name is Beulah Augustin, and I am reaching out with a heavy heart to ask for your support for my dear friend Taylor Smith and her sweet son, Ezra Smith. Ezra was recently diagnosed with cancer—likely Neuroblastoma—and is currently undergoing further medical and surgical evaluations to confirm the final diagnosis.

Taylor is a pillar of strength and kindness in our community. She is an Emergency Department Registered Nurse Clinical Coordinator at the University of Florida, and to know her is to know pure light. Her joy is infectious, her energy boundless, and her dedication unwavering. She gives her whole heart—110%—to advancing the mission and vision of the Emergency Department, making an impact that goes far beyond the walls of the hospital.

But Taylor’s work doesn’t stop there. She is deeply committed to global health and has traveled to Ghana to teach point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) to improve healthcare in underserved areas. On top of her demanding career, she was also pursuing her dream of becoming a physician, working tirelessly through a post-baccalaureate program to complete her medical school prerequisites. She has led groundbreaking quality improvement projects in the Emergency Department and played a pivotal role in developing protocols for extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Yet, beyond all of these incredible accomplishments, Taylor’s most admirable role is that of a devoted and loving mother to her two beautiful boys, Ezra and Arlo. Despite her demanding career, she has always put them first, pouring every ounce of love, care, and strength into their lives.

Ezra is pure love. He is the kind of child who radiates warmth, who makes everyone feel special and seen. His heart is so full of joy that it spills over into the lives of everyone who meets him. Even in the toughest moments, he has this remarkable gift of lifting spirits, of making people smile when they least expect it. It is heartbreaking and unfathomable that someone so small and full of life should have to face something as cruel as cancer.

I don’t have the answers as to why this is happening to Ezra, but I do know that as a community, we can come together to support him and his family. We can wrap them in love, in prayers, in kindness. We can help ease the burden—emotionally and financially—as they navigate this unimaginable journey.

No gift is too small. Every thought, every prayer, every contribution makes a difference. Please join me in supporting a family that has given so much to others. Let’s show Taylor, Ezra, and Arlo that they are not alone in this fight.