Steve Smith – my Brother, my Hero! Nearly 3 years ago, my Brother’s life changed forever. While in the shower one morning, he suffered a major stroke that left him paralyzed on the left side of his body; the result of a stage 4 Glioblastoma Multiforme brain tumor. His prognosis was not good : 12 to 14 months with this type of brain cancer. However, 3 years later he is still with us and continues to fight. He has gone through 2 surgeries, intense radiation, and countless MRI’s and Chemo treatments. It has been really hard for Steve and our entire family, but he is a strong man, a fighter, and continues to believe in himself, his family and his God. Steve is definitely Keeping the Faith.
All of this happened about a month before the first annual Head For The Cure (HFTC) race that was to be held in Frisco, TX. Steve was living out of state at the time with his family, when we received word of his diagnosis. I was feeling helpless and angry about the situation, but wanted to, had to do, something for him. I am a runner, and discovered that this new 5K event was coming to Texas in May. So I asked a small group of family and friends if they also wanted to participate and they said absolutely yes. We all decided on the team name, Believe in Steve!
Through all of his trials, Steve began to question himself, his life and his faith. About a month ago, we both had an opportunity to attend a weekend retreat through our church. This became a life changing experience for Steve and I. Even though his time there was cut short because he became ill, it did help strengthen and increase his faith and mine. It truly brought us closer together as brothers and friends than ever before. There was actually one night when neither of us could sleep and we ended up talking most of the night about so many things. We realized that even though we have so many challenges, God will always be there for us.
We are looking forward to participating in the 4th annual HFTC event in North Texas. We are so very thankful to everyone who has either organized, participated in, or volunteered for this event. We are especially grateful to know that this event exists to help all those who, like my brother, are fighting for their lives every single day, and to also remember those who have lost their courageous battle with cancer. Steve is truly my inspiration for Keeping the Faith.