This is a story of how pain repurposed has forged the iron brackets that hold the Smith family of four together. Corey, Andrea, and their two boys have been through more over the past three years than most families could ever even imagine in their lifetime. Chronic illness has not only plagued this family's health but wreaked havoc on their finances and daily well being. Through all, like Job their faith is and has remained their cornerstone. These two are unwavering in their faith but are with significant loss. Their need is great and we are hopeful, that as you read their story, you feel compelled to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Read their journey below.

After years of testing, Caden was diagnosed at around age 9 with Common Variable Immunodeficiency, a rare primary immune disease that prevents the immune system from fighting off common infections and toxins. He receives IVIG infusions every three weeks from his home health care nurse, who has become a dear member of their family. Hudson was born with developmental delays and had a very medically-intense beginning of life. But now, after years of therapies and proper diet and supplementation, the family continues to prayerfully hold hope that Hudson will not develop into chronic illness, and thus far has shown no signs of disease.

Over the past twelve years, Andrea has had multiple surgeries, procedures and treatments to sustain her life. Her symptoms left doctors at multiple hospitals searching for but finding no answers, including a 2013 visit to Mayo Clinic to investigate an adrenal tumor found by her urologist in Nashville that Mayo then determined was a non-issue. Mayo Clinic diagnosed her with POTS and sent her back home to Nashville. She followed the treatment protocol for POTS, which did help partly with her falling and passing out, but still left her in chronic pain and dealing with intermittent dizziness and swelling.

She began experiencing heart palpitations and other symptoms similar to heart attacks, but ER visits yielded no answers. Even after several “possible” TIA’s, doctors were unable to determine the source of the problem. Cleveland Clinic investigated her for any vascular issues, and put her on compression hosiery to keep swelling down. She started receiving iron infusions regularly at this point for chronic anemia. She also struggled with bowel obstructions during this time.

Around 2019, she got connected with a wonderful functional MD who not only saved her life, but has been pivotal in keeping her Crohn’s Disease in remission, fighting infections including sepsis, and making it possible to live life at all while still advocating to doctors for finding more answers, as something was still very wrong. The Smiths sold their home in 2021 to ensure they had enough financially to continue the needed treatments without interruption, not knowing how long this could go on. They moved into an RV and lived on Corey’s mother’s property.

On September 29th, 2022, Andrea went in for another surgery to have a Power Port inserted due to absorption issues with her intestinal tract and the inefficient function of her veins due to being chronically ill with Crohn’s Disease since she was 15 years old. What should have been a routine outpatient surgery turned into a nightmare. Andrea was discharged with her new Power Port along with the PICC line she had already had for over a month at that point. Within 48 hours, she found herself barely able to breathe, unable to speak to Corey laying asleep beside her, and unable to move her body in the middle of the night. She felt frozen and terrified and prayed that God would give her the strength to flip off the bed and hopefully fill her lungs with air. He answered, giving her the breath and strength needed to fall out of bed and start breathing again. When she went to the ER, doctors determined she had a collapsed lung and performed an emergency chest tube while she was awake. She stayed in the ICU for four days waiting on her lungs to work. Shortly after this, the family moved into an extended stay for a month while looking for a place to rent in-town and be closer to medical care.

Unfortunately, things only continued to get worse from there. Andrea gained over 88 pounds in swelling within 9 months, despite not being able to digest food properly and struggling with malnutrition, making everyday life almost undoable. Her pain level increased almost daily, but she smiled and refused to give up. A series of events led Andrea back to Mayo Clinic, who concluded that the tumor on her adrenal gland they had originally misdiagnosed almost 10 years earlier was in fact the cause of her swelling and irregular heart activity, the POTS, chronic anemia, migraines and insomnia. The new diagnosis was Cushing’s Disease, caused by her adrenal tumor that had plagued her body and all of her organs for over a decade.

The surgeons at Mayo Clinic removed the adrenal tumor in August of 2023. The family was extremely grateful for the removal of the adrenal gland and tumor and the preservation of her life, but the damage to her body was done. The unaddressed tumor had caused Andrea’s adrenal system to pump increasing amounts of cortisol through her body for years, and the path to recovery was long and completely unknown. The adrenal gland with the tumor had been removed, the other adrenal gland had atrophied and become non-functional, and her pituitary gland was also non-functional. Her body having no means to produce cortisol naturally, she would have to take oral prednisone daily moving forward, along with hormone treatments to keep her body functioning.

2024 was a roller coaster. The family moved again from the rental house, having to once again let go of personal property and downsizing into a small 2-bedroom apartment, trying to stay as physically close to their homeschool community and church as possible. Andrea would have to be given emergency injections of dexamethasone for adrenal insufficiency when her cortisol would bottom out. This happened several times throughout the year, but no moment was so frightening as when Corey awoke early one December morning to the sound of Andrea hitting the floor outside their bedroom. It turned out both of their boys heard it as well. She was in and out of consciousness when Corey gave her two emergency steroid shots, because she was not fully responsive after the first shot, and called an ambulance.

That night marked the beginning of another journey into finding out Andrea had something else going on. Regular severe abdominal pain, high fever, body and joint pain, uncontrollable muscle spasms, tremors, vision problems, difficulty walking, rapid cognitive decline, and constant migraines began to set in, and doctors at multiple hospitals in Nashville began testing for the source of the problem, which resulted in no clear diagnosis. Eventually, she was put on two oral and one IV antibiotics, which helped greatly with some of the symptoms. But within eight months, her body grew resistant and her symptoms began to slowly return. Her doctor recently switched her to a combination of different oral and IV antibiotics. The specific infection is still undetermined, but is still affecting her brain and GI tract, causing physical and neurological issues. The current combination of antibiotics is sustaining her now, though half of her days are still spent in bed and she is still in a lot of pain.

Now, in 2025, the journey continues. The Smith family has let go of much again, and in September, moved into Corey’s mother’s house for added support. Corey is Andrea’s primary caregiver and has to drive her most days. They have unpaid medical bills, as well as current and upcoming medical needs they are not able to afford. This GoFundMe will help ease the financial burden on this family. Funds will go towards:

● Monthly IV treatments and supplements to sustain Andrea for her children

● Trauma counseling for both children and for all they’ve been through as a family

● Medical equipment used for sleep and pain management

● Outstanding medical bills

● Creating joyful moments together as a family

Thank you and God bless you for all of your continued prayers and considering your support during this time of so much uncertainty.

Love,

Corey, Andrea, Caden & Hudson Smith