Imagine approaching your 90th year—a lifetime of giving, of serving, of lifting others through their darkest moments. Imagine being a devoted husband for 43 years, a father, grandfather, minister, chaplain, and counselor—someone whose very purpose has always been to heal, comfort, and inspire.

Now imagine, after a trip to visit family, you suffer a devastating fall 700 miles from home. Instead of returning to the arms of your community in Asheville, NC, you find yourself in a hospital bed—your femur broken, your body weakened, and your mind overcome with the fog of anesthesia-induced postoperative delirium, leaving you barely responsive. What was intended to be a joyful family reunion has turned into weeks of hospital stays, nursing facilities, and an urgent fight to survive—all while far from home.

This is Royce’s reality.

Royce Smith's life has been one of perseverance and faith. Born in 1936 during the Great Depression, he grew up in rural North Carolina where, as he said, “everyone was poor, but none of us knew it.” From pulling groceries in a red wagon at six years old, to preaching his first sermon at sixteen, to dedicating fifty years as a minister, chaplain, and marriage and family therapist—Royce has always answered the call to serve. He has walked beside the brokenhearted, comforted the sick, counseled the vulnerable, and built communities of love and care.

And yet, Royce’s compassion was shaped by hardship. He survived spinal meningitis as a baby, leaving him partially paralyzed for life. He battled back surgeries, broken bones, MRSA, ulcers, and countless close calls. Time and again, he chose faith over despair, resilience over defeat.

But today, Royce faces his greatest challenge. To come home, he needs a medical airlift and one month of nursing care before Medicaid begins—an impossible $25,000 expense for Royce and his retired-teacher wife.

Royce has spent his life giving to others. Now, he needs us. With your help, Royce can come home—home to the wife who has held his hand through every trial, home to his children and grandchildren, home to the community he has poured his life into.

Your gift is more than financial help. It is love in action. It is gratitude returned for a lifetime of service. It is the chance to bring Royce home.

With our deepest thanks,

Susan, Amanda, Meridith, Chloë, and Eowýn