In September, Lauren Cassady Smith, our wonderful friend and my fellow single mom, found out she had a benign brain tumor called a vestibular schwannoma.  

You know Lauren as a valued member of our Decatur community, always on her kids' soccer sidelines or offering her empathic pet advice or engaging in real talk on the playground. 

Her doctors discovered the tumor after she experienced unexpected hearing loss. The condition requires serious surgery scheduled for January 24th at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville.  The surgery will take 8-10 hours with a 3-7 day hospital stay and a 2 to 3-month recovery period.

Let's help Lauren during this tough time!  You can sign up to send a meal or give a gift card for meal delivery.  While insurance will cover some expenses, it won't cover everything that will be helpful for a full recovery. This includes essential services like specialty neurologic chiropractic care, post operative massage therapy for vertigo, and help with house cleaning.  These are a few of the vital services needed for her physical and emotional well-being. Please consider stepping in to support Lauren, her mom, and her two children as they navigate this challenging journey.

For meals and walks: Please ring or text her mother Karen for address 205-447-2754.