Hockey Fights for Cancer: Remembering Christian Smith
At The Laughlin Family Foundation, we are on a mission to give rare cancers a voice. We believe every family walking this road deserves to be seen, supported, and uplifted. One of the most powerful ways we can do that is by sharing their stories.
Stories of courage. Stories of love. Stories of the people behind the diagnoses.
Today, we are honored to share Christian Smith’s story through the eyes of his loving family. In telling his journey—the joy he brought to those around him, the fight he endured, and the love that continues to carry forward—we hope to shine a light on the realities of rare cancers and the extraordinary strength found within families like his.
A very big thank you to Corinne, Christian’s mom, and their whole family for trusting us in sharing their story.
1. To begin, can you share a little about Christian-his personality, his passions, and what made him so special to those who loved him?
How do I begin to describe someone who meant the world to me… someone who, in my eyes, hung the moon? Christian was genuinely friendly to everyone. He was kind, caring, and always looking out for the underdog. He had a big personality and an even bigger sense of humor that made him a favorite among friends and on social media. Christian was the kind of person who could connect with anyone, and his closest friends would tell you he was the one they could always count on for an honest opinion, whether they wanted to hear it or not.
He shared an incredible bond with his older brother, Lawrence; they were truly best friends. Their shared love of music and sports brought them even closer. Christian especially loved keeping sports statistics and could recall facts and figures like a walking encyclopedia.
He was special in so many ways, and everyone who loved him felt it deeply.
2. Can you tell us about Christian’s journey and diagnosis, and what those early days were like for your family?
Christian’s journey began in the most unexpected way - after he was mugged in Baltimore. A CT scan in the ER showed something abnormal, and when we met with the neurological radiologist later that day, I saw his brain on the screen and instantly knew something was very wrong. The next day we met with Dr. Burke, and within a week Christian underwent his first craniotomy. The tumor was a grade II glioma, non-cancerous, and he bounced back quickly. He was out of the ICU in less than 24 hours and home two days later.
For almost five years he lived a full, healthy life - moving to Pennsylvania, coming home, then eventually to Nashville - truly living his best life. His routine MRIs stayed clear until December 2019, when a new tumor appeared in the same spot. This time, it was cancer. Christian’s world changed in an instant, and mine stopped. All I wanted was for my son to be okay.
3. How did you first meet the team at Maryland Oncology Hematology, and what do you remember most about that day?
We met the Maryland Oncology Hematology team shortly after Christian’s cancer diagnosis. Dr. Graze was the first physician we saw, and his calm, steady presence brought us a sense of reassurance we desperately needed. He walked us through the plan and helped us understand what to expect. Then we met Jackie, his nurse navigator, who became our anchor. She always had answers, took every call, and listened to every fear without hesitation.
Throughout Christian’s two years of treatment, the entire Maryland Oncology & Hematology staff showed genuine care and compassion. We built meaningful relationships with people who not only treated Christian, but also supported our whole family through the hardest part of his journey.
4. The Laughlin Family Foundations holds your family close to their hearts. In your own words, what has the relationship meant to you during Christian’s journey and beyond?
For a mother, there is nothing more meaningful than seeing someone show genuine compassion toward your child especially during their darkest hours. That connection is exactly what I felt with Courtney, Craig, and of course, Linda. About three weeks before Christian passed, we met with Courtney and Craig. Christian and Craig became instant friends, trading jokes and making each other laugh. Craig made Christian feel seen and heard, and that meant the world to me.
Since losing Christian, my conversations with Linda and Courtney have been a true source of comfort. Linda once told me she wasn’t a warrior, just someone doing what she had to do to survive but to me, she absolutely is. The Laughlin’s strength, empathy, and willingness to listen have helped guide me through some of my hardest days.
My husband and I have attended several foundation events, and being surrounded by such giving, kind people always brings a sense of peace. The bond we’ve formed with the family is something I cherish deeply. On the rough days, a simple text to Courtney lifts my spirits, she’s become like a daughter to me.
The Laughlin Family Foundation has turned their own heartbreak into something profoundly meaningful, offering love, support, and hope to families facing what we faced. We will always be connected, brought together by tragedy, but united in our hope for others.
5. Would you be willing to share a favorite moment or memory with Christian that stands out to you-something that reflects his strength, his humor, or his spirit?
One of my favorite memories of Christian will always be his humor and the way he could make people smile without even trying. He had such a gift for writing, and I’ll never forget the prank letter he crafted during March Madness posing as “Dereck the RA.” Somehow it ended up on ESPN, and it was such a perfect example of his harmless, witty spirit.
He also took so much pride in being the best man at his best friend’s wedding, grateful to be healthy enough to give a speech he worked so hard on. And in his final days, when speaking became difficult, he’d give me a simple thumbs-up to answer my questions especially when I asked if he loved us, and if he knew how much we loved him. Those small gestures said everything about his strength, his heart, and the bond we shared.
6. What does the annual Hockey Fights for Cancer game mean to you and your family? Can you share a story about attending the game?
This night has become a meaningful way for us to honor Christian while enjoying the Caps, a team he loved. It all began when we won an auction for a Tom Wilson jersey, a meet-and-greet, and tickets to the Hockey Fights Cancer game. My husband Frank, my son Lawrence, my daughter-in-law Kalia, and I joined Courtney and Linda, and we spent the evening reminiscing about Christian and cheering on the team.
After the game, Craig joined us for the meet-and-greet with Tom Wilson, who couldn’t have been kinder. He even gave Lawrence his stick from the game. And just as we were leaving, Lawrence happened to be in the right place at the right time and met several other players, even getting a selfie with the Great 8. It was such a special moment for all of us.
I look forward to Hockey Fights Cancer night because it keeps Christian close while giving us something joyful and light as we enter a difficult holiday season. It’s a night that brings comfort, connection, and a little bit of healing each year.
7. How do you hope Christian’s story will impact the people who read it?
I hope that anyone who reads Christian’s story sees the light he carried, even in the darkest moments. He never wanted to burden others with his illness and tried to stay positive through humor and kindness. If his story brings comfort to even one person facing a cancer diagnosis, then sharing it has been worth it. Christian taught me that it’s okay to accept help from those who love you. He let us care for him in every way, with such humility and gratitude. I’ve also learned that grief has no roadmap, and that keeping his memory alive by speaking his name brings healing. Thanks to the Laughlin Family Foundation, I have the chance to honor him by sharing who he truly was.
8. What do you wish more people understood about families walking through a diagnosis like this? Or what do you wish you would have known that can help others?
What I wish more people understood is that you truly never know what someone is carrying, and kindness matters more than you realize. During treatment, Christian had to wear a device on his head connected by wires to a backpack for most of the day. People often stared, and it hurt him. He always said he’d rather someone ask than look at him like he was different. Families walking through a diagnosis like this are already fighting so much - compassion goes a long way.
I also learned how important it is to let grieving families talk about the ones they love. When someone loses a child or any loved one, don’t avoid their name. Ask about them, share memories, let them speak their heart. My son gave me 30 beautiful years, and he continues to be one of the greatest gifts of my life. I don’t want his memory tucked away andI want to say his name.
9. Is there anything else you’d like to share about Christian, about your journey, or about what honoring him looks like for you?
Christian had such a big, gentle heart, and one of the clearest examples of that was his love for dogs. When he moved to Pennsylvania, he told me he was going to foster a tiny two-week-old puppy. I warned him he’d fall in love and never give the dog back and of course, I was right. After bottle-feeding him for weeks, he became a “foster fail” and adopted the little guy, naming him Rush. They were inseparable. Rush even alerted us once when Christian was having a seizure. He was truly Christian’s best buddy and loyal companion.
My husband and I now care for Rush, and we talk to him about his daddy all the time. Having him with us brings a little peace into our lives, and sometimes we laugh, thinking Christian must be telling Rush to act like the crazy boy he is. Honoring Christian today means holding onto the love he gave so freely, especially to the animals he adored, and keeping his memory alive in the everyday moments that make us feel close to him.
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Christian’s story is one of resilience, humor, deep love, and the unbreakable bonds that carry a family through the unthinkable. By sharing his life and legacy, his family helps us continue our mission of ensuring that no one facing a rare cancer feels alone or unheard.
We were honored to stand beside Christian’s family at this year’s Hockey Fights Cancer game, an annual night that the Washington Capitals hosts that brings hope, remembrance, and community to families walking through cancer diagnoses. Moments like these remind us why our mission matters and why every story deserves to be shared.
If you know a family currently battling a rare cancer, we would be honored to connect with them. And if you have a loved one whose journey you’d like us to highlight, please reach out. It is through these stories—these lives—that we continue to advocate, educate, and give rare cancers the voice they deserve.
