Help Terry Make the Most of His New Life with ALS

Team fundraiser

Shannon Foster and Terry Smith are organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

Hello everyone! I am making this fundraiser on behalf of Terry Smith, who is my friend/ex husband/and father of my daughter, his youngest, Talula.

Terry is a bit of local celebrity, as one of Talula's teachers pointed out the other day. You probably recognize him from Rosauers, where he's been working for 15 years!

[Here's a summary of the fundraiser, however, I strongly encourage you to continue reading his story!

Terry has been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and has very little time left to do things he's always wanted. Life expectancy is 3-5 years after diagnosis, but the loss of mobility comes much sooner. We are raising money to purchase a used RV to get him on the road so he can complete his bucket list. He will sell the RV when he is no longer mobile and use that money for medical expenses that arise in the late stages of ALS, as well as putting some aside for his children. ]

On November 3rd of 2021, after 2 years of doctors visits, tests, and painful symptoms, Terry was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. This came 5 days before his 50th birthday. There is no cure for ALS, and the average life expectancy after diagnosis is 3-5 years. For many people, losing function in their arms and legs, the ability to eat or speak, and breathe on their own comes much sooner.

ALS is still in an infancy stage of being fully understood as a disease. We don’t know what causes ALS, and at present, there are no treatments that can permanently halt the progression of the disease and there is no cure.

While he is keeping a rather positive outlook on things, he still feels that there are things he needs to accomplish, and he needs to do them soon. Symptoms have already become more prominent in the last year alone. Terry is a fighter. He's trying his hardest not to let ALS get the best of his spirit. He really wants to make the most of his new life with ALS, and plans to document his experience thru blog posts and video diaries, to give other families touched by ALS a glimpse into this new world.

Terry has been working hard for 32 years. He has an unbelievable work ethic, and REFUSES to miss work unless he's ordered to by a doctor. Because of this, he was unable to achieve his dreams of traveling the world and country. At one point in his youth, he was going to do missionary work in Brazil.

He has 6 children and one grandchild. 5 of his kiddos are adults now, and spread out across the West and Midwest. Our daughter, his youngest, is only 13.

Terry would love nothing more than to spend the next year or 2, while he is still mobile, traveling to see his kids and visiting different National Parks and other landmarks that have always been on his bucket list. He has only visited 5 states in his life.

Long car rides or airplane trips are uncomfortable, and hotel stays would become too costly. What he needs is a small used RV to help him comfortably explore. It will need to be road worthy and ready to go by spring. This will allow him to take his bed, kitchen, and bathroom along with him everywhere he goes. He could stop to rest if he needed to, and be able to do so comfortably in his own bed. He'd save money on food by preparing it in his own kitchen, and he wouldn't have to worry about navigating gas station restrooms or rest stops. We hope to make Terry's vehicle off grid, so he never has to pay for a camp site!

If you are unable to donate money to the RV project, just sharing this fundraiser would be AMAZING!

If you know of someone that could help procure a travel vehicle for him, set it up to be off grid, or just get it ready, that would also be greatly appreciated!

When Terry moves into the season of immobility, and is no longer able to travel, he will sell his RV and use the money for any mobility aids he will need that Medicare or the ALS association will not be able to help with, and hopefully be able to leave some money for his children.

So here are some wishes:

●A used *small* class c motorhome.

●The donation of time or labor to get his RV ready if it needs any work. Hopefully it won't! Again, time is precious!

●Donation of supplies for travel. (i.e. chock blocks, water hose, sewer hose etc...)

●Our love and support for him and for his family.

Terry is always willing to go out of his way to help others, but never comfortable asking for help in return. But help him we must. Now is the time to “do something” by supporting this effort. Making a donation, in whatever amount feels comfortable, will make an enormous difference to Terry and his family as they start to navigate this new reality.