Adversity Nothing New To Saints Senior

Christine Smith never asks 'Why me?' The thought hasn't crept into her mind through 27 facial surgeries, or when fire destroyed her family's dream home in February. "I've had a happy life," said Smith, a Shiloh Christian senior guard. "I've never been depressed. I've enjoyed life." Plagued by health problems since birth, Smith boasts a sunny outlook thanks to a strong Christian faith, supportive family and basketball. Hoops became her inspiration to rise out of hospital beds and served as a distraction when the Saints won the school's first state championship — less than a month after the fire. "Basketball has always been a motivation for her," said Smith's mom, Michelle. "It has always been her first love. She played well all year, but she definitely had something to play for (after the fire). She became even more focused." Doctors diagnosed Smith as a newborn with Treacher Collins Syndrome. Michelle Smith and her husband Mike, a Bentonville police detective, immediately brought Smith to Children's Hospital at Little Rock. TCS is a rare (found in 1 in 10,000 births) genetic disorder characterized by craniofacial deformities. Smith was born without ears and was deaf. In the 1960s doctors started performing surgeries on adult patients. However, operations began on children a couple of decades later, so they didn't have to endure the effects as long. Immediately, a team of doctors in Dallas began a process of reconstructing Smith's face. The more she matured, the more surgery was needed. "The first surgeries were the toughest," Michelle Smith said. "We wanted to do everything for her. She was so independent. At 14 months after cleft pallet surgery, she wanted to do things on her own. She was determined and independent the entire time." Six years ago, the medical team constructed ears out of cartilage and attached hearing aids. Two years ago, they adjusted Smith's mouth, so she could chew food, swallow and breathe easier. They broke her upper jaw and moved it forward. Her mouth stayed wired for six weeks. Smith only needs one or two more elective surgeries and can choose when the procedures are done. "It's been part of life for me," Smith said. "I had a surgery and people came over and brought food. It was normal. There were only a few times I was in a lot of pain but after I got a call or visit from my friends and family I felt a lot better." After withstanding the bulk of her surgeries, Smith anticipated her final year of high school. She attended Bentonville schools since kindergarten but transferred to Shiloh Christian in the fall because she discovered Bentonville "wasn't the right fit" athletically or academically. By the beginning of the second semester, Smith had transitioned smoothly. She made friends and started on the Saints' basketball team, which cruised through the regular season with one loss. She became anxious for a deep postseason run, but her happiness was again interrupted. On Feb. 19, the Smith's rural Benton County log cabin home burnt to the ground. Mike Smith, who did much of the construction, smelled the smoke at 2 a.m. and alertly evacuated his family. "He was calm getting my mom and brother out, but by the time he got to me, he was really yelling," Smith said. "I hit the floor and got out of there. All I could grab were my hearing aids, my phone and basketball bag." Upon leaving the house, Smith pulled her car away from the flaming structure. Initially, she was optimistic because as the blaze hadn't spread from the chimney. However, in a matter of minutes the wooden house was engulfed in flames. "It happened so fast. I didn't really even have time to cry," she said. "I was numb. All I could think about was how I needed to call coach and get a new uniform because it wasn't in my basketball bag." Smith's older brother Cody, who starred as a defensive lineman at BHS, grabbed his laptop and the family computer, salvaging some of the Smith's digital photos. However, the house and its contents were a loss. Homeless and empty, Smith pledged not to let the fire ruin a potential state championship run. "Basketball was a good distraction for me," said Smith who averaged 7.2 points and 2.5 assists per game. "I couldn't dwell on (the fire) because I was so focused on winning a championship." Shiloh, who finished on a 27-game winning streak and cruised to the championship beating state tournament opponents Nashville and Bald Knob by a combined 27 points. The Saints held off Lonoke in the finals 51-45. "We were relieved and happy," said Smith, who dished out eight assists in two different games. "We overcame a lot of adversity as a team. We were just happy God blessed us with it because if we didn't have it we might have been as driven. It was one of those things all given by God." The Smith's are settled in a rent house waiting for their daughter's graduation. Friends from the First Christian Church donated furnishings and clothes. In late March Smith still basked in the glow of a state title and planned for her future. After official visits to Lyon College in Batesvillle, LaBette (Kan.) Community College and Central (Mo.) Methodist, Smith signed a National Letter of Intent to continuing her career at Lyon College. It was a dream her parents didn't imagine possible hours after delivering their baby girl. "From birth on has been one big, huge blessing after another," Michelle Smith said. "I'm just glad this didn't happen 20 years earlier or Christine wouldn't have had the surgeries as she grew up. "We've found out God doesn't give you any more than your shoulders are broad enough to handle. Our shoulders are pretty broad. Our family has gotten through everything by not dwelling on the negative. Bad things are going to happen, but you can't focus on them."