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After facing many hardships, Terry Smith now has a home to call her own.
Our family has been a part of the Lawrence community for over 12 years. In September of 1999 my husband Eric and I moved our three children from Topeka to Lawrence after he accepted a job at KU in the Facility Operations department.
At the time our oldest daughter Brandi started her sophomore year at Free State High School where she participated in basketball and color guard before graduating in 2002. She now works at Stephen’s Insurance and has started a family with her husband Kenny and their one-year-old son Rocco, my first grandchild.
Our son, Neal, started fifth grade at Riverside Elementary School before moving on to Central Junior High and Free State High School. He played football and played in the school band before graduating in 2007. Neal lives in Lawrence and works full time at Pure-o-Zone and part time as a security guard for Milspec.
Our daughter Erica started third grade at Riverside Elementary School upon our move to Lawrence then went to West Junior High and Free State High School. While at West Erica participated in cheerleading and track. While at Free State Erica was a member of the Cross Country and Track teams, a designer on the yearbook staff and active in several other clubs, graduating in 2009. Erica is currently enrolled in classes through Johnson County Community College.
During our time in Lawrence our family has faced several hardships. In October 2006, my husband Eric was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, which had metastasized to his brain, lymph nodes and esophagus prior to our discovery of it. After three brain surgeries, months of chemotherapy and radiation, and a month of a trial drug Eric passed away in January of 2009.
A few months prior to his death in August of 2008 our daughter Erica was in a roll-over automobile accident, resulting in injuries which have left her paralyzed from the mid chest down. Eric and I applied for a house through Habitat for Humanity in hopes of building a wheelchair accessible home and were selected in November of 2008.
Though Eric lost his battle with cancer before getting to see our home built, his mind had been put to ease knowing we would finally have a house to call our own. Because Habitat for Humanity is a grant- and donation-based group, the poor state of our economy has put our home on hold the past three years.
Thank you for your time, consideration and any support you may be able to offer.
-Terry Smith
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