Thanks so much for visiting our page! The Smith family is raising funds to donate to The Lung Cancer Initiative of North Carolina in 2022. We are raising funds to remember Gary Smith and to help families access early lung cancer detection services, like low dose computed tomography (LDCT). Funds raised will be used to provide $25 gas/copay vouchers for those seeking LDCT who have financial need.

Please read Gary's Story below.
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Gary Hugh Smith radiated love and care for 67 years. Growing up in Smyrna, Georgia, Gary and his sister, Carol, were as close as siblings could be. When Gary went off to West Georgia State College to run track, he was a star hurdler and came in second place to Edward Moses, a future Olympian. Gary married Cindy Smith and the two had nothing short of a love story for 37 years. They owned a successful outdoor power equipment business and had two sons who were Gary’s pride and joy, Adam and Matthew. 

Gary’s strength came from Cindy, and his inspiration came from Adam and Matthew. His love wasn’t just felt by his blood-related family, however. Adam married Jennifer, who Gary took under his wing like she was his own daughter, even walking her down the aisle at their wedding. His love also radiated to Stephanie, Matthew’s wife. While Gary never got the chance to meet his grandson, Nolan, he was so excited the Smith name would continue to live on.

Gary’s care for everyone around him is one of the many things that made him so special. Carol equated Gary’s personality to an “energizer bunny.” He was always looking out for and supporting everyone around him. Whether it was rebuilding a cabin or working on classic cars, Gary was always teaching his boys something exciting and new. He passed on his technical knowledge and love of outdoor power equipment to his son Adam. His cabin in Blue Ridge, Georgia that he built with his son, Matthew, was a special place for him, and his friends referred to him as the “Mayor of the Valley.” 

Gary had a history of lung cancer in his family. In fact, his uncle passed away from lung cancer complications when Gary was younger. Cindy recalls how Gary had been having a bad cough for a while, but he dismissed it as drainage. Cindy and Carol urged Gary to get his cough checked out, but he was resistant to seek medical attention. As it turns out, Gary’s lagging cough was a symptom of his cancer. His lung cancer had gone undiagnosed for so long that once it was found, he only had a few short weeks to live. At the end of January 2021, Gary was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer. He received palliative radiation therapy to his bone lesion and one cycle of chemo-immunotherapy. On February 18, 2021, Gary passed away from his short and intense but hard-fought battle. During Gary’s brief illness, Cindy provided loving care during his final days.

Gary’s family hopes to raise awareness about his journey to illustrate that lung cancer can happen to anyone, and a cancer diagnosis not only affects the patient, but the whole family. 

Gary’s lung cancer risk was heightened by his family history, but he did not get regular lung cancer screenings. The family encourages those at risk for lung cancer to pay close attention to their bodies and seek medical care for persistent cough, pain in the chest or body, shortness of breath, or wheezing. The family strongly advises those at high-risk* request a low dose CT scan. 

Risk factors for lung cancer include:

●      Are between the ages of 50-80 with a history of heavy cigarette smoking*

○      Heavy cigarette smoking is defined as 20 pack years (eg, 1 pack a day for 20 years or 2 packs a day for 10 years)

●      Currently smoke or have stopped smoking within the past 15 years*

●      Have exposure to radon, asbestos, secondhand smoke

●      Have a family history of lung cancer. 

Early detection increases five-year survival rates by 51%, according to the American Lung Association.

Gary's legacy lives on through his boys, daughter-in-laws, wife, grandson, and The Gary H. Smith Memorial Fund (The Gary Fund) that is being established by his family.  The mission of The Gary Fund is to support access for low income, rural individuals that are at high risk for lung cancer so they may gain access to screening in their community.  Through the financial support of The Gary Fund, Lung Cancer Initiative will begin providing gas cards for screening patients at the C.W. Williams Community Health Center in Charlotte, NC on March 9, in celebration of Gary's heavenly birthday.

While Gary is no longer here with us, he left a mark on everyone, whether it was through his “energizer bunny” personality, love for wood crafting, or spectacular Brunswick stew. His family believes Gary would have enjoyed supporting those in the lung cancer community through the LUNGe Forward 5Ks, since he was a former college track star. This year, a great way to honor Gary is to donate to The Gary Fund and join the Charlotte LUNGe Forward Run, Walk, and Celebration to honor Gary and remember all he did for his family and community. 

To find a lung cancer screening facility: 
https://go2foundation.org/risk-early-detection/screening-centers/ 

To make a donation to The Gary Fund:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/remembering-gary?qid=26e1247f7a98d3fdd0204c2b95689f83 

To make a donation to the 2022 Charlotte LUNGe Forward Run, Walk and Celebration:  
http://support.lungcancerinitiativenc.org/site/TR/WalkRun/General;jsessionid=00000000.app353a?px=1030149&pg=personal&fr_id=1220&NONCE_TOKEN=3B2AAFAAD0911A8041B1234DD25A750A