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“Live Life Like It’s Your Last Lap”
Doug Smith, a hospice resident at Morning Light Home living with terminal lung and prostate cancer, fulfilled a powerful last wish.
Indianapolis, IN — September 3, 2025
Carrying a handwritten sign that read “Live life as if it’s your last lap!”, Doug Smith, a hospice resident at Morning Light Home living with terminal lung and prostate cancer, fulfilled a powerful last wish with the help of nonprofit Morning Light and Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles.
Our resident Doug achieved his IMS dream! Boles personally drove Doug at full throttle around the world’s most famous racing circuit, taking him to triple-digit speeds in a turbo-charged Corvette supercar. After several exhilarating laps, Doug dropped to his knees to kiss the Yard of Bricks, honoring a lifelong love of racing.
Doug said after the ride:
“The best part was blowing down that back straight, at hundred something miles an hour… yeah, that was the best! I was just hanging out with Doug, we were chatting like old friends.”
The day held special meaning for both men. Boles shared that he grew up near 42nd and Castleton, just blocks away from where Doug Smith grew up, and that their schools were neighbors. For Doug, the experience was also a tribute to his late wife. He wore a tie-dye T-shirt she had given him decades earlier at a motorsports event, saying he wanted her memory to be part of the ride of his life.
Doug reflected:
“I cared for my wife until she passed in 2006 after 26 years of marriage. I’ve cared for people my whole life, and I still want to at Morning Light, my new home. I just don’t think God is done with me yet. I’m still walking around for a reason, and today proves it. I can’t believe it’s really happening.”
He added:
“Before this I felt like they were just waiting for me to die. At Morning Light’s home, I feel like I can live, and I can care for others again and make new memories I will never forget.”
This unforgettable day was made possible through Morning Light’s Making Memories “Last Wish” Program.
Founded in 2004, Morning Light Home is a 12-resident home in Indianapolis serving individuals on hospice who lack safe housing or financial means for care. Morning Light has provided compassion and dignity to more than 1,000 residents since opening its doors. Beyond medical and emotional support, Morning Light invites every resident to share a wish — something they would love to do or experience — and then works to make it happen.
In the past year alone, residents have attended Colts and Fever games, visited the zoo, enjoyed choir concerts, and created countless memories. Yesterday, it was Doug’s turn. With the kindness of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and President Doug Boles, his lifelong dream of doing laps on the world’s most famous racetrack became reality.
Watch this video from Wish-TV to learn more about Doug and his last wish:
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