Hometown Heroes: Chris Miller and Shawn Smith

LINCOLN COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- At just 34 years old, Shawn Smith was given news no one ever wants to hear.

"July 21, I had an accident at the house, fell out of a chair and went to the ER for routine stitches, said Shawn Smith. "I ended up having a CAT scan to check for concussions and they ended up finding a lesion on the base of my skull. It came back as chordoma cancer, it affects one out of every million people."

The terminal diagnosis came just months before Shawn learned his future with his company would become unclear.

Shawn is a father of four young boys. He and his wife also foster three other children.

Throughout his life, he has always been a person who gives rather than receives and says it's the only way he knows how to be.

"It's just overwhelming, I don't feel like I deserve it," Shawn said. "I'd rather give than receive."

Shawn's story is one that caught the attention of many, including Chris Miller.

"I had followed Shawn on Facebook for a while and saw his terminal diagnosis and what was happening with his life," said Chris Miller. "The entire time, he was able to maintain this unbelievably positive outlook."

It's that positive outlook and perseverance that led Chris to want to do something for the Smith family -- something they say they never expected.

"We are raising up to $10,000 on a GoFundMe page and then Dutch Miller Auto is contributing the other $10,000 matching dollars," Miller said. "This is a good person that has done things for other people his entire life and it's our turn to give back to him."

"Chris has kept up on us and he has just been a blessing to us, going above and beyond," Smith said.

For two people going above and beyond for others, what could be more fitting than being named WSAZ's Hometown Heroes?

"You don't help somebody else with the idea of wanting to win an award," Miller said. "It's very humbling."

"That award, I mean he has always been my hero ... He's our kids' hero," said Sara Smith, Shawn's wife.

Shawn's fight is far from over. He recently got back from Virginia where he got news that the tumor was growing back. He is scheduled to return in June for radiation treatment.

The average survival rate for someone living with chordoma is only seven years, but Shawn says he is hoping to beat those odds with a support team of family and friends behind him.

Chris Miller and Dutch Miller Auto are also providing the Miller family with a vacation.

They leave for the beach Saturday where a condo and golf cart await them.

If you would like to donate to the Miller family's GoFundMe page, click on the Related Link with this story.