Harold Smith, or Smitty, as he has been called most of his life, lost his balance and fell in his bathroom at home, hitting his back on the bathtub. His granddaughter, Jackie, and her husband, Bill, heard the crash and came running.
Bill recalled, “He seemed OK, so we helped him get into bed. When he didn’t get up at all the next day due to excruciating pain, we took him to the emergency room. X-rays confirmed that nothing was broken, but he was medicated for the pain. The pain meds made him a little crazy. He developed AFIB and had fluid in his lungs. The doctors recommended that he go to rehab to gain stability before returning home.”
Smitty was admitted to GHRC on May 14th for rehab, primarily to rebuild his overall strength and balance, and get his pain under control. He started out using a wheelchair for transportation, then rapidly progressed to the use of a walker, and is now ambulating independently again.
“The therapists are all wonderful! They are #1 as far as I am concerned! Marie, my primary physical therapist, made therapy fun and motivated me to work harder. Of course the nurses are good also, the food is good, the activities are good, and everything about this place is good,” Smitty reported.
Granddaughter, Jackie said, “He has been thrilled with the therapists here, and has loved working with Marie. He has been very driven to push himself hard. I am so proud of him.”
Marie Clonts, PTA, commented, “Mr. Smith has made great progress in therapy. His strength and balance has improved significantly. He was having some back pain and has responded well to our treatment interventions. He is very motivated and participates enthusiastically in therapy. He is friendly to all the other patients and residents and delightful to work with.”
Not one to sit around doing nothing, Smitty participates in numerous activities, eats his meals in the dining room, and socializes with many of the other patients and residents. He has performed miracles in cajoling his roommate into accompanying him to the dining room for meals.
He has witnessed the unadulterated joy on another man’s face when he presented him with a simple, but very special gift that only he would appreciate. His thoughtfulness is inspiring. He has made the best of his situation and contributed to making this center a better place just by being here.
Originally from Great Falls, Virginia, Smitty began his early life on his grandfather’s farm. When he was around five years old, his parents split up and his mom moved him and his older brother to Georgetown. She was able to walk to her job at Georgetown Hospital as they lived close by on the canal. Around the age of 16 the boys went to Richmond to live with their dad. Smitty attended high school in Richmond and was drafted by the U.S. Army in April 1945, at the age of 18.
For the next two and a half years Smitty served in Europe, primarily Italy, in a very unusual capacity. He and his team of three others lived in a hotel and went around the countryside with an interpreter looking for the bodies of American pilots who had been shot down. They paid the locals $1 to dig up the American bodies and then took them back to one of the American cemeteries. His small squad was known as AGRMTZQM, which stood for American Grave Registration Mediterranean Zone Quarter Master.
When Smitty came home to Richmond, his father got him a job as a carpenter’s helper and he was a natural! He went on to become a carpenter, carpenter foreman, and a superintendent, working construction all his life. He married a young woman named Lily and the couple moved to Alexandria in 1947. Together they raised her three children and added two more to the mix. Sadly, Lily died of cancer in 1968. His son, Danny, lives in Fredericksburg and his daughter, Nancy, lives in Stafford.
One of Smitty’s favorite past times was camping with a group of friends, initially sleeping in a tent and later in a camper. He and a fellow camper, a widow named Roxie, eventually got married in 1971 and moved to Grasonville, Maryland. They lived one block from the Chester River where he kept his fishing boat, “Borrowed Angel.” They both loved fishing and crabbing. “Everyone loved Roxie – she was so personable,” he said.
After he retired Smitty and Roxie worked together creating hand-crafted oak works of art. They sold their unique step stools, rocking chairs, cabinets, shelves, and hundreds of other items at area craft shows. They worked out of a shop in the garage, with him doing the woodworking and her doing the painting on some of the items. They had a great business going for 10-12 years. Their one-of-a-kind pieces were in great demand and continue to be treasured items that will be handed down to future generations. Unfortunately, Roxie also passed away after a long battle with cancer in 2002 at the age of 82. He misses his soulmate and knows that he will see her again one day.
Smitty looks forward to going home and getting back to his cherished woodworking. He is planning to come back and visit his roommate as they have established a special bond. He will look back on this experience with a smile on his face and fond memories in his heart.
The staff here at Gainesville is proud of Smitty for his positive attitude and accomplishments in therapy. Everyone will miss his kind-hearted smile and warmth!
By Lynnette Esse, Activity Director
