Dad's Hospitalization Leaves Teen On Her Own In Downers Grove

DOWNERS GROVE, IL — For most teens, the senior year of high school is a time to enjoy their remaining time with their friends before they head out into the "real world." For Madi Smith, 18, of Downers Grove, the months leading up to graduation have been fraught with worrying about how to juggle work and classes as she struggles to pay rent herself. Smith's father has been hospitalized with permanent brain damage since August, according to a GoFundMe page.

"I have been living independently whilst still attending school and working," Smith, who is involved with art and track and field at Downers Grove North, said on the fundraiser page.

She added, "Recently, rent has become a major problem. My father was a single parent, and we do not have any extended family living in the area."

The fundraiser, started by Colleen Oakes, whose son is friends with Smith, aims to help the teen afford an apartment in Downers Grove before she moves out of state to attend an Ivy League university via a scholarship.

Smith is currently living in the apartment she had shared with her father, but that lease is coming to an end in late December.

"I want to stay in an apartment in Downers Grove in order to finish the year at my school and to avoid being taken into a homeless shelter if possible," she said on GoFundMe.

As of Dec. 17, the GoFundMe had raised just over $6,000 of its $20,000 goal.

Smith expressed her gratitude for those who were willing to help, saying, "I really appreciate any kind of support, and it means the world to me that there are people that care about kids going through situations like mine, that are difficult to talk about and we often feel alone in.”

Click the link to donate to the GoFundMe for Madi Smith.

Patch is a GoFundMe promotional partner.