Kristen Smith

My favorite Erin story are the ones about her cooking or baking. I can't believe the complicated and amazing meals that she comes up with and cooks- I am so jealous of her cooking skills! I also really liked her letter in support of the soldiers in Iraq that she wrote about a year ago. Erin is BRIGHT, STRONG, INSPIRATIONAL, SPUNKY, and WITTY.

My name is Kristen Smith and I am 21 years old. I found Erin through other Neuroblastoma links a little over a year ago. When I was in high school, I babysat for a little boy - Liam Kane, who was diagnosed with Stage IV N B at age 3. He fought long and hard before earning his wings in November 2005 at the age of 5. But enough about the sad things! I am a Child & Adolescent Development major at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. I'm currently looking at Grad schools that offer Child Life or Child Development. My dream is to become a Child Life Specialist. I am currently taking a semester off to be at home to help take care of my mom, who was diagnosed with Kidney Cancer over the summer, but I'll be back at UNCG in January. I play rugby at my college and my position is called a "Scrumhalf". It's kind of like a Quarterback in football. My favorite music is all kinds.. I like Dave Matthews Band, Simon & Garfunkel, Jack Johnson, and Billy Joel, to name a few. My hobbies include photography and traveling - my last trip was to the Florida Keys, where I was able to go snorkeling, visit a Sea Turtle Hospital, and tour historic Key West - I got to see Ernest Hemingway's old house, which is now the home to about 40 6 toed cats who are very friendly and cute!

On a side note ---

Vickie - I love to read your blog! I think your writing is amazing, and I love the outlook that you have on everything. I always look forward to your funny stories and anecdotes. When Erin was inpatient and you were asking if anyone would like to visit, I was soooooo tempted to just fly to TX just to hang out with you guys! So... thanks for writing, I really enjoy reading and I always keep Erin in my thoughts.

Here is a picture of me at Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. I'm wearing a bandage on my arm because I had just donated blood to be used for my mom's surgery (kidney removal). I'm not sure if you guys have ever been to Philly - but it's BEAUTIFUL! If you ever get the chance to go, don't hesitate to e-mail me -- I live in Wilmington, DE but Philly is a short 20 minute drive from my house!