Hi! My name is Melissa, the sister-in-law of Josh Smith (married to his younger brother Travis)

Almost 4 years ago, Josh suffered a brain aneurysm with multiple strokes involved. After 21 days in a coma, God performed a miracle and he woke up on day 22. He spent quite some time in a rehab facility and progressed so quickly they sent him home to be under the care of his very loving parents, Dan and Nancy Smith. He had his ups and downs of progression then regression, but Josh fought hard. Over 2 years ago, he started rehabilitating himself with online music therapies for stroke victims and even started teaching his own online class. Most know Josh as a musical genius in every sense of the word. Josh was a loving son, brother, uncle, and friend!

On Thursday morning, March 5, Josh suffered a massive stroke. He had a procedure done to save his life initially, but Thursday night, a brain scan showed so much brain swelling on the right side that it was pushing into the left side of his brain. There was no hope for a good outcome for him. There was nothing else that could be done. As much as our family wanted another miracle, it just wasn't going to happen. Josh went to a hospice facility in Orlando with his parents by his side on Saturday, March 7. He does not have much longer to live. We are thankful to know where his home will be once he leaves earth, but we know it will leave a huge hole in the many lives of those who loved him.

Josh had no life insurance. So with this said, the burden of expenses such as the initial embalming of his body in Florida, flying him home to NY, and then the remainder of his funeral expenses fall on the shoulders of his family.

We are setting up this GoFundMe for anyone who would like to give toward the final cost of expenses.

The final cost could be anywhere from $12,000-15,000.

Thanks in advance.