Press kit

About the author

Short bio

April Smith is a survivor, a woman of faith, and the author of Against All Odds: The Fight Within. After a 2021 medical crisis that cost her her stomach, her spleen, and parts of her intestines, she and her husband, David, chose to live: they took to the road in an RV with her service dog, Pinky. April shares her story to give hope to anyone ready to give up.

Longer bio

For years, April Smith lived with pain doctors could not explain. In June 2021 she was flown to a hospital in Denton, Texas, and placed on life support, and in December 2021 surgeons removed her stomach, spleen, and parts of her intestines. Through a long and painful recovery, her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the steady love of her husband, David, kept her fighting.

Determined to live, not just exist, April and David bought an RV and hit the road, finding a second family in the Airstream community. Along the way, April began sharing her story with strangers who were losing hope. Her memoir, Against All Odds: The Fight Within, launches December 5, 2026. She is also the author of Pinky Adventures, a six-book picture book series for ages 3 to 6 about her service dog, Pinky, illustrated by David.

Book facts

Title: Against All Odds: The Fight Within

Author: April Smith

Genre: Memoir, faith and inspiration

Foreword: John Choquer

Launch date: Saturday, December 5, 2026

Publisher: Riveted Hope

Companion series: Pinky Adventures (six picture books, ages 3 to 6)

Suggested interview topics

• Living without a stomach, and learning to eat and live again

• Faith when medicine runs out of answers

• Being your own advocate, and the spouse who fights beside you

• Life on the road and the Airstream community

• Pinky, service dogs, and teaching kids “vest on means work”

• “Find one reason to stay”: talking with people who want to give up