Cerebral Palsy

To save money, Tania and three children went to an east Tampa duplex.

Her husband and two children moved into a mobile home 20 minutes away.Edward Tippie did prison time in the 1980s for armed robbery.

Tania was twice convicted of writing bad checks.

They've been evicted several times, had fights that wound up in family court and have come close to divorce.But things had never looked as bad as they did now.Enter John Smith.* * *Smith, 39, the owner of a company that installs hurricane shutters, is accustomed to hard work and success.He was moved when he read about the Tippies' plight in the Orlando Sentinel."If you're successful, you help people, " he said.

"I want to give back, and here's a great opportunity."At their first meeting, Tania recalled, "He had everything laid out and ready to go." All they had to do was agree.She remembers wondering: Is this guy for real?

Can he do all the things he says he'll do?

Smith sprang into action, raising money through the radio, the Internet and a trucking magazine.

From the start, his help was marked by grand gestures.He tells this story: One night, Tania called in tears.

She had no money for a birthday cake.So Smith called Publix, he says, and paid for a cake and a $100 g...

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