Dear friends and family,

It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing the death of my mother, Debbie Kay Smith. For those of you that knew her, you knew that she was strong willed, independent l, never a quitter and had a huge heart. She rarely asked for help and never wanted to be a burden to anyone. Till the very end she stayed true to character. So much so, she refused to let anyone acknowledge that it was the end just yet. She was 65.

While sitting in the ER, struggling to breathe and hiding her pain She didn't miss a beat answering the following questions from the doctor:

What is your name? Debbie Smith

What's your date of birth? January 22, 1956

Who is the president? Let's Go Brandon

I would not have expected any less from her.

They — meaning anyone — will tell you that you should prepare for death. Death is inevitable. No one is too good to beat it. Well Debbie deserved to, if anyone. She gave silently to so many and loved her daughter and grandsons feircely. She brightened the lives of so many most of the time without them even knowing it.

She was a rare kind of woman. A christ follower and believer. Heaven truly gained an angel to be reckoned with — in the best way and I gained the fiercest guardian angel.

As you can imagine, my family was not at all prepared for the financial burden that comes along with a proper memorial service and burial. That is why I am reaching out to you all in hopes that you’ll show your support. Not for me, if even not for my children, but for my mom.

So you know exactly where your donation will be used, we are planning a private family gathering with a memorial site in Jasper, Al. Any remaining funds will be used towards medical expenses and other financial obligations that come with end of life circumstances. Debbie was a planner and she worked everyday up until her sudden departure. Even though she put steps in place to lessen the burden of her family there are still things left undone.

Every little bit helps and all remaining funds will be donated to the equestrian team, Team Need A Hand in her memory. My mom was always a huge supporter of my dreams and our riding program. She always donated to the cause and sponsored students who were in need. I know it will bring a smile to her face to know that she is still helping carry on the dreams of horse crazy girls ( and boys)

Thank you so much for even considering to donate and for taking the time to read about my sweet mother. She loves you. I mean it. Even if she didn’t know you directly.

Here you will find a link to the fundraiser we have started. As you can see our goal is 15,000 and we hope to raise this amount by 12/15/21

Blessings and Thanks,

Courtney