Support Mike Smith's Fight Against Cancer

Hi, my name is Gary and I am raising funds for my brother-in-law Mike Smith. Here are a few words from my sister describing how Mike's cancer diagnosis has effected their family and how you can help:

This part of our story begins in January 2021. My husband, Mike Smith, was diagnosed with Ocular Melanoma, a rare and aggressive cancer. We found an ocular oncologist in Miami the closest to us, although 315 miles away. Mike underwent a plaque radiation procedure and biopsy in February 2021, and it was determined the cancer was class 2, which is stage 4. His only option was to immediately enter a trial program based at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, over 1000 miles away in Philadelphia, PA. This required numerous trips to Philadelphia. However, within the year the cancer spread to his liver. Mike then went on weekly treatments, that was the first ever approved by the FDA for Ocular Melanoma with liver metastasis. This treatment was at Moffit Cancer Center in Tampa, and we still had to travel to Miami every 6 weeks, for the ocular oncologist, to preserve his eyesight. This treatment lasted a year, but the cancer has continued to spread.

Mike most recently went on a cellular transplant trial out of Miami, spending 3 weeks in the hospital and staying additional weeks in Miami to be close to treatment. He is dedicated to fighting this cancer and doing everything he can to slow the spread so he can be present to see more momentous occasions in our children's lives.

We have 5 children, 2 are in college, 2 have graduated high school, and 1 is still in high school. The financial toll this has taken on our family is huge. We are in need of assistance with the medical bills, travel costs for treatments, and help with the mortgage. We greatly appreciate any donation, word of support, or social media share you can give to our campaign against cancer.