Submitted photo Kevin Schmidt is a resident at the Chautauqua Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on Temple Road in Dunkirk.

Kevin Schmidt has managed to keep a smile on his face and a positive attitude throughout a very challenging life.

He has spent his entire adult life paralyzed; he lost his mother; and he now battles both kidney and liver cancer.

Through it all, Kevin has remained upbeat. He has asked for very little in life, even though he gives so much joy to others. Even now, he is making arrangements, with a smile on his face, for what comes next once his life comes to an end.

Kevin has a simple ask as his dying wish. He just wants a nice funeral service and to be laid to rest with a headstone at Webster Cemetery, the same cemetery where his mother, Audrey Nickerson, is buried.

A GoFundMe campaign was launched to help Kevin through his “final journey with dignity.” More than $3,500 has been raised by 50 donors so far, with an end goal of $9,000. The money raised will support Kevin’s funeral and burial costs.

Lori Wannop, one of Kevin’s lifelong friends, is among the donors who felt compelled to help in his final journey. They grew up in Fredonia as neighbors and stayed friends ever since.

“He just really wants to help people, so I felt now is the time that people can turn that around and help him out,” Wannop said.

Another lifelong friend of Kevin’s, Kelly McArthur, has helped coordinate the fundraising efforts and the end of life arrangements. She spent many years as a caretaker and has visited Kevin often in the past few months.

“He’s an incredible person and he did give so much to so many people,” McArthur said. “He always wants to make a difference. He’s given so much of himself that it would be nice for him to have the service he’d like.”

The group of friends grew up in a mobile home park in Fredonia, and McArthur believes the sense of community that their upbringing provided led to the positivity Kevin has had throughout his life. From sports and games to quality time spent between friends, the children who grew up together mostly shared the same positive outlook on life.

“Most of us who grew up there have that attitude. It’s weird, but I think it might have been because we had that community as kids and we knew how to socialize,” McArthur said.

Kevin graduated from Fredonia High School in the early 1980s and had plans to move to Florida to begin an exciting new chapter in life. Shortly after graduation, an accident changed everything. Kevin was paralyzed after he broke his neck diving into a pool.

Over the years, Kevin went through extensive therapies and rehabilitation in hopes of regaining movement in his legs, but despite all efforts, he remained confined to a wheelchair. Still, that did not stop him from living a meaningful life.

Kevin’s mother, Audrey, took care of him for many years before she passed away. She was well-known and beloved in the community as a hairstylist.

For more than a decade, Kevin has been a resident at the Chautauqua Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on Temple Road in Dunkirk. He became president of the residents committee, where he advocated for his fellow residents and even staff members deserving of better conditions. Kevin always spoke up when it could help make a positive impact on others.

Kevin’s influence spread far beyond the halls of the nursing home. He even ran for local government in the past in an effort to make more of an impact. Kevin also offered support for a young man who was paralyzed in an accident. “I knew Kevin would be a really positive force for him,” Wannop said.

Kevin was recently diagnosed with both kidney and liver cancer. He was hospitalized in Buffalo for an extended stay before returning home to the Chautauqua Nursing and Rehabilitation Center a few days ago.

The cancer has only added to the hurdles he faces each day, including paralysis, the eventual loss of both legs, and declining use of his arms. He communicates using adaptive technology, voice assistance, and the limited use of his hands.

Even so, Kevin has always remained positive. He still manages to smile and spread kindness and positivity through the halls of the nursing home.

“He’s been through hell, and for him to be so positive, it’s just amazing. He’s really an inspiration to everyone,” Wannop said.

Kevin has been actively planning for what will happen when his life comes to an end. The GoFundMe campaign was established to help cover the costs associated with a peaceful goodbye for those who care about him and a final resting spot next to his mother.

“He deserves it, he really does,” Wannop said.

Kevin and his supporters offer thanks to the caregivers of the Chautauqua Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for all they do each day. They also thank the community for supporting Kevin over the years, and especially now.

To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/f/support-kevins-final-journey-with-dignity