Raising Hope for the Smith Family

Marcia Franklin is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Doralee Smith.

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On June 12th, Aaron Smith’s life changed forever, and with it, his family’s lives as well.

While running an errand with two of his children, Aaron went to clear his throat. Instead, he coughed up blood.

Since then, his lungs have filled with blood multiple times and collapsed twice. During a particularly perilous day, he had to be intubated to breathe. Eventually, two of the five lobes of his lungs were removed.

Aaron has had countless painful procedures, nine COVID-19 tests (all negative), and was finally taken by air ambulance to the
University of Utah Medical Center in Salt Lake, where doctors saved his life.

He is finally home, but his path forward is winding and uncertain. That’s because the cause of Aaron’s lung disease is still
frighteningly and frustratingly unknown.

What is known is that he cannot work for the foreseeable future, and he was the sole provider for his family. Being on oxygen 24/7, he can’t even lift his baby girl.

I have known Aaron’s wife Jaime since she was 9, when I became her “Big Sister” in the Big Brothers, Big Sisters organization. One thing about Jaime that hasn’t changed since she was a little girl is her grit. She’s faced challenges her whole life, and just jumps
right into the pig pen and “wrastles” them down.

Jaime is an amazing mom, and has been a stalwart partner to Aaron, moving all over the country when he was a traveling welder.

But sometimes life throws you so deep that no amount of shoveling can keep your head above ground. That’s when you have to ask for help. It’s really hard for Jaime and Aaron to do that — they’re proud and self-reliant people. But they know they have to for the sake of their children.

I hope even if you don’t know Aaron and Jaime, you’ll consider opening your hearts and wallets to assist them during this time.

Any money raised is going into a completely separate “Supplemental Needs Account” held by a third party, and will be used for basic needs, including food, clothing, transportation, school supplies for the kids, retraining for Aaron, help with caregiving, and medical costs not covered by insurance.

Jaime could also use pro bono legal assistance filling out the myriad forms for Aaron's disability insurance.

I’ve worked for Public Television my whole career, so I’d be remiss if I didn’t end with a quote from a man whose name is
synonymous with both Public Television and compassion, Mister Rogers:

“We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say, “It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.” Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes.”

Thank you for being part of a caring community that is helping the Smiths in their time of need. I know they’re appreciative beyond words and will pay it forward to others who need help in the future.

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