My name is Lauren Smith, and I’m raising funds to help our family continue caring for and adopting Abigail, a brave 12-year-old girl who lost both of her parents — her mom in 2019 and her dad unexpectedly this year.

What began as a heartbreaking tragedy has turned into a journey of love, healing, and family. These funds will help us recover from funeral, legal, and travel costs, and support Abigail and our two children as we build a safe, stable, and loving home for all three.

Bringing Abigail Home: A Story of Love, Loss, and New Beginnings

In March 2025, what was meant to be a joyful spring break trip turned into every child’s and parent’s worst nightmare.

Twelve-year-old Abigail had gone on a bonding trip with her dad, Arnold, traveling by train from Plano, Texas, to New York City. Midway through their trip in Chicago, Arnold suddenly became gravely ill.

Abigail, terrified and alone, called her “Aunt Lauren” — me — for help. I stayed on the phone with her as she desperately tried to find someone on the train to help her father. A kind woman heard Abigail’s cries and came to their car, staying with her and on the phone with me until EMTs and police arrived.

Arnold was rushed to the hospital and placed on life support. It was devastating news. Abigail had already lost her mother in 2019, and now she was watching her father slip away too. The next day, I flew to Chicago by myself to be there to support Abigail and Arnold.

Arnold had asked my husband and me months earlier to be Abigail’s guardians if anything ever happened to him. We promised we would. Unfortunately, with no legal paperwork in place, the hospital could only release Abigail to relatives who came from out of state.

At the hospital, Abigail told her relatives — and me — that she wanted to come home with me. She was not close with the relatives, and leaving with them was against her wishes. I promised her, right there in that hospital room, “We’re going to get you home.”

That same week, Abigail turned 12. We spent her birthday together in the hospital — surrounded by uncertainty and heartbreak — trying our best to bring her a little comfort and love on what should have been a day filled with joy.

For the next several weeks, we fought tirelessly. We worked with attorneys day and night to get a judge to sign emergency custody orders so Abigail could return home. As soon as the court approved it, we booked last-minute flights to Ohio, drove hours through the night, and finally brought her safely back to Texas.

Abigail has been living with us for six months now. She is safe, loved, and healing. She and our 12-year-old daughter have been best friends since kindergarten, and our family — including our 14-year-old son — has embraced her as one of our own. She often says, “If I could live anywhere in the world, it would be with you.”

We are now in the process of adopting Abigail and giving her the stable, loving home she deserves. But this journey has come with immense financial strain — from attorney and court fees to funeral costs, travel expenses, and the daily costs of raising three children. We’ve also helped support her adult uncle, who lives nearby and has been part of this process from the start.

We’ve poured our hearts, time, and resources into keeping our promise to Arnold and giving Abigail the life her parents wanted for her.

We’re humbly asking for help — any amount, big or small — to help us recover from the financial burden of this life-changing journey and to continue supporting our beautiful family of five.

Thank you for reading our story, for sharing it, and for helping us continue giving Abigail the love, security, and home she deserves.

Please consider donating or sharing our story to help us support Abigail and our two children as we continue building a loving, stable home for all three. Every contribution — no matter the size — makes a difference. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for helping us keep our promise to bring Abigail home and give all of our children the bright future they deserve.