He’s captured the attention of the online world with the hashtag #HarrysLastStand.
Harry Leslie Smith, 95, a Second World War veteran, author and Twitter sensation chose to use his numbered days to raise awareness about the struggle of refugees and the poor, as well as social democracy.
WATCH: Harry Leslie Smith on living history
Smith is now in hospital, but even that isn’t stopping him from spreading his message.
According to Smith’s son, John, his father was brought to Belleville General Hospital earlier in the week after a fall.
“He’s still in ICU, it’s still a critical situation,” the younger Smith said. “He’s holding his own. He’s gained I’d say a couple of inches of ground, which is remarkable and wonderful and that sort of thing.”
At 95, Smith continues to fight the good fight and does so very publicly on social media, having garnered nearly a quarter million Twitter followers. Among them are some high-profile people like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who wished him the very best.
John Smith, who has been tweeting regular medical updates on his dad, spoke about his father’s popularity.
“It’s because his message of returning the world back to a time when there was more concern,” John said. “There was less populism, this idea of social democracy where everybody in the community was part of a greater thing and a greater good that they did through working together.”
Harry Leslie Smith has authored a number of books on the Great Depression and the Second World War. His latest, published last year, is called Don’t Let My Past Be My Future: A Call to Arms.
Harry had to have a bronchoscopy over the weekend, a procedure his son described as one more step of his father’s “battle with death.” As of Monday, it seems Harry is still fighting.