Support Marc Smith and his beloved family

Hello all,

My name is Lauren Sletta, and I have had the distinct pleasure of working with Marc for the almost seven years that I have been at the Children's Farm Home. I am grateful to call him my friend. Anyone who knows Marc understands my sentiment. He is the kind of person you want in your corner when the odds are against you. Marc is kind, resilient, supportive, direct and has a HUGE heart! He is the best kind of teacher because he is willing to meet you where you are and stand by you as you learn how to do it on your own. I am starting this GoFundMe to provide his family with the financial support they need right now as they are navigating a new chapter in their life. I talked with Marc last week, and he gave me some information I would like to share with you with his and his family's permission. So let me start from the beginning.

Marc got COVID-19 in August of 2020. He experienced the virus as many have and initially felt better. Marc was able to return to his regular life. However, as days went on, he started to experience significant exhaustion, joint pain, brain fog, memory issues and other symptoms that made it difficult to function daily. At this point, he began to miss work and would experience times when he could do more and times when he couldn't get out of bed. Marc reached out to his doctor to get help with the symptoms that he was experiencing. Unfortunately, due to the novel nature of COVID-19, there were few answers that the doctors could provide. This wasn't something that had been researched or covered in textbooks. OHSU was on the leading edge of studying and providing treatment for patients with "long haul COVID." These individuals, like Marc, have experienced symptoms long after the virus itself is gone. Marc has been working with his primary physician and OHSU to manage his symptoms. However, over the past year, Marc has been experiencing an increase in his joint and muscle pain, exhaustion and brain fog to the point that he has been unable to work. In March 2022, Marc ran out of FMLA. This has had a significant impact on Marc and his family.

With Marc's health in a delicate balance, he has pursued getting answers. This has led him and his family to an opportunity through the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Marc was referred to the program and has been accepted. This means that he and his wife, Chaundra, will fly to Minnesota in October for two weeks. The structure of this program is unique. They will work with Marc to build a plan that works for him. A team of specialists will evaluate Marc's case, run diagnostic tests and then come up with a treatment plan moving forward. This means that if Marc needs a special scan or test, it will be completed immediately. There will be no waiting. This is huge for him.

Now, why do they need the money? With Marc out of work for so long and continuing to require medical attention, medical bills and other bills have been piling up. They are at the point of not having any more in their reserves. This is where you come in. The family is asking only for financial support to cover the travel and services at the Mayo Clinic and the insurance payment for Marc's COBRA insurance. Marc is hoping that he can return to the Children's Farm Home in the future so that he can continue doing the work that he loves so much with the people that he appreciates beyond measure.