Dear friends in Christ,

By now everyone, from east coast to west, must know how loving, how generous, and how kind Samantha Smith is. My life has been forever impacted by the acts of charity, small and large, that Samantha has done for me and I know there are lots others whose lives have been touched by her thoughtful (sometimes goofy!) presence. What you might not know is that Samantha struggles with a chronic disease called endometriosis. Endometriosis is complex and can impact multiple organ systems. It is an inflammatory disease where tissue similar to the uterine lining forms elsewhere in the body. For Samantha, this has meant extreme pain, fatigue, secondary diagnoses such as anemia, brain fog, mobility challenges, digestive issues, and more. It has resulted in too many sick days and canceled plans and unfortunately, greatly impacts her quality of life.  

Surgery is available but can be expensive and recovery can be extensive. Samantha was diagnosed and had her first surgery in 2021. Samantha was found to have endometriosis as extensive as it comes. Endometriosis is incurable so this has resulted in severe symptoms returning and the next best step for Samantha to be a second surgery. She is going to one of the best surgeons, who came with the highest recommendation from her specialist, located in Saint Louis, Missouri. Samantha needs your help to raise money for surgery. Medical costs are estimated to be around $14,000 but the costs don’t stop there. On top of this, Samantha will need to travel to Saint Louis for appointments and surgery, have lodging there, and take an extended period of leave from work while recovering. Samantha expects to be recovering 2-3 months before some normalcy is restored. Her mother will be traveling from MA to help care for her during her recovery in Saint Louis. These associated costs could be as much as $8,000 - $15,000, or more, depending on recovery time. 

The cost of the surgery is a barrier but the cost of recovery is potentially even greater! 

Endometriosis is a cross for Samantha but it should be a gift to us, her friends and her community, because our Lord is giving us a chance to carry the cross with her. Please help us take up Samantha’s cross and consider donating to cover her surgery costs. 

May God bless and keep you, Thalia Parr. 

For more information on endometriosis and where Samantha will be having surgery, Restore Center for Endometrios’ website can be accessed here: https://www.restoreendo.com/