Hi everybody! I'm Courtney Smith :) I live in Charleston with my husband, Matt Masie, and our two cats, Mister and Spock. I taught in public education for 8 years and then changed my career completely to food and beverage and was excited for all the opportunities that lay ahead of me.

Unfortunately, cancer stopped me in my tracks. After a colonoscopy, at 31 years old, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 rectal cancer, with what the doctor's described as a "significant tumor."

I am thankful to have had amazing support through my cancer journey so far. I have already made it through three months of chemo and am half-way through daily radiation. There have been a lot of bumps along the way, besides dealing with the stress of a life-threatening disease: losing my job, navigating insurance, and having a huge financial burden placed on our shoulders. The final step in my cancer treatment plan is to have two major surgeries to first remove the cancer and then to help the healing of my digestive system.

This GoFundMe would help us immensely in covering our hospital bills, which are amounting to way more than we even originally expected. We are so grateful to those of you who have been called to give, either large or small amounts, as we know they all add up. Sending love, blessings, and good health to you all!