The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:18
We met Mason in April of 2006 when he was two and a half years old. We were his foster parents before we adopted him in 2007, along with his biological sister and brother. Several years later we’d go on to add six more children to our family through foster care and adoption. At a young age Mason was diagnosed with PTSD. This is not uncommon for children who had a traumatic start to life, and Mason definitely did. He was exposed to alcohol and drugs in utero and surrounded by neglect and domestic violence after he was born. In high school Mason’s mental health began to decline. He also began to have seizures and was diagnosed with epilepsy. He was in counseling off and on since early childhood, but no one had really come to an understanding of his struggles. Young adulthood in many ways became very challenging for him and in September of 2024 he shared some things with us that brought us to our knees. His mind had become very dark and confusing to him. I took him for an emergency psychiatric evalution and he was pink slipped-involuntarily committed to the behavioral unit of the emergency room of the hospital. I was not allowed to see him. I was not allowed to say goodbye. I was not allowed to tell him it would be ok and we’d be with him as soon as we could. That trip to the ER resulted in Mason being admitted to the inpatient psychiatric unit of the hospital. Never in our lives until that point would we have thought that would be a part of his story, of our story. Over the next eight months Mason would have three more stays in the psychiatric unit. Each time he would be discharged with an unspecified diagnosis. No one could figure out what was happening in his mind. After his last inpatient stay in June/July, Mason completed several weeks of the hospital’s outpatient program. With no diagnosis still, a residential treatment program was recommended. Mason began a program in September of 2025. However, in December he returned home after it became apparent that this program did not have the level of therapy he needed. The search began for a place that could provide more intensive treatment and that is when we found the Lindner Center of Hope. The cost of his initial 10 day stay there was $27,500. We planned to do a fundraiser but someone came forward and offered to pay for it all. One person. Mason spent 19 days there in January and we finally received a diagnosis. While we will not share that publicly we will share that his diagnosis affects approximately 1-3% of people globally. It is rare. The prognosis is considered challenging and guarded. Yet, we know God has a plan for Mason. After weeks of wondering what would be next, we now know part of the plan is 90-96 days at an amazing Christian residential treatment facility in Arkansas called Capstone Wellness. Clinically intensive Christian therapy, with 24/7 supervision is very expensive. Once Mason was accepted into the program, we knew we would need to do some fundraising. We personally have the $7,000 deposit needed to secure his place. We applied for assistance from Lifesong for Oprhans and the Ashes to Glory Foundation. Combined, both organizations are supporting us with $45,000 in grants and a $5,000 matching grant. We knew the Lord would provide help, but we had no idea He would send this much through just two places. Now we have come to the point in this story where we need to, and get to, ask for help. We need to raise $67,500 for Mason to be in treatment at Capstone. There is nothing local, nothing in our state, that can provide the level of care and treatment he needs. Other places in other states are not open to accepting him at this time. Capstone is the only place that is an option for him. That it is a 100% Christian place and the Lord will be invited into his therapy, is more than we could have asked or imagined considering his diagnosis. Would you prayerfully consider supporting Mason and our family in this part of our journey? Would you share this fundraiser so others can be invited into our story? Any donation will help Mason get the help he needs. Any amount donated, up to $5,000, will be matched by Lifesong. If someone donates $5, Lifesong will match it, making it a $10 donation. Anything donated through Lifesong will go directly to Capstone to pay for Mason’s treatment. Most importantly, would you pray for Mason and for us? This has all been very hard on our whole family. But we also know the Lord more because of it. He has been so near, so faithful. He has made Himself so evident each step of the way. He loves Mason more than we could possibly know or understand. We believe He will ultimately use all of this for Mason’s good. Thank you for reading our story.
https://ashestogloryfoundation.org/
some of Mason's current favorite songs!
https://youtu.be/-l70C3ePyIQ?si=XaDYBC1kprvZWdHr
https://youtu.be/91rK070s6jg?si=MBW4TcUKKR73xOWQ
https://youtu.be/GVITQPGlI30?si=7bZ0wF7qi4zs8lCS
https://youtu.be/CFfQFwjfTPY?si=V6zASG7tb2agK2eT
STRIPE charges an online processing fee (2.2% +.30 USD per transaction)*. Your donations will be decreased by this amount. You may also send a check payable to “Lifesong for Orphans”. In the memo line please write “Smith 90667”, to ensure it is credited to our account. Please mail to Lifesong for Orphans, PO Box 9, Gridley, IL 61744.
Lifesong has been blessed with partners who underwrite all U.S. administrative and fundraising costs (TMG Foundation and other partners). That means 100% of your donation will go directly to the adoption.
- In following IRS guidelines, your donation is to Lifesong for Orphans. This organization retains full discretion over its use, but intends to honor the donor’s suggested use.
- Lifesong is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization. Individual donations of $50 or more and yearly donations totaling $250 or more will receive a tax-deductible receipt. Receipts for donations under $50 will gladly be sent upon request.
- *3.5% fee for donations given with an American Express card
