This 15-year-old started an organization to support sick kids in hospital with puzzles, games

Ayona Jaswal had surgery on her liver a mere deuce hours after she was max born. It was the outset of a lifetime of wellness issues that led to haunt hospitalizations.

Now 15 years old and attending high school, there’s one thing she understands better than most: how challenging — and how boring — it can be for a kid to feel stuck in a hospital bed. 

“I know how hard it is, not just for the child, but also for the family to see their child going through that,” said Jaswal, a student at A.B. Lucas Secondary School in London.  

That’s why Jaswal started The Kindness and Smile Zone last summer. It's an online space where kids can access activity packs full of puzzles and games, and sign up to receive personalized kindness cards and letters from volunteers. 

The organization’s stated mission is to “give children the chance to be creative and have fun, even during the hardest times.” 

Jaswal posted her first activity kit on Canada Day last year.

“I thought that even if one kid checks it out, they could share their work with me and I could write a little comment back to them and hopefully bring a smile to their face,” she said. 

After a kid sent her their finished activity, a Canadian flag they made, Jaswal began feeling that this project could take off. 

Since the activity packs are digital, it's hard to tell how many kids have participated so far, Jaswal said, but she would estimate at least a few hundred, based on responses and completed activities she's received.

The Kindness and Smile Zone has since collaborated with other organizations like Stuffies for Smiles, and also became a member of London's Pillar Nonprofit Network last year as part of its Community Membership Program.

"We were immediately impressed by the care and creativity behind Ayona’s work," said Anahí González, Pillar's membership specialist. "Welcoming The Kindness and Smile Zone into the network and getting to know Ayona has been truly inspiring as we begin building a meaningful relationship with her and her organization."

"Her work is a powerful example of community-led action that connects care with creativity in tangible and heartfelt ways."

González said the organization reflects Pillar's commitment to "supporting initiatives that build a more connected and equitable community."

Since its founding, Jaswal has worked to grow The Kindness and Smile Zone, recruiting around 25 volunteers from nine countries to help create activities and write letters.

They’ve branched out into making educational blog posts covering topics like mental health, illnesses and dealing with diagnoses, and a webinar series featuring doctors and medical students. 

Jaswal has also collected around 250 teddy bears in the past few months to give out, and she said she’s hoping to collect more and eventually even raise money for Sick Kids Hospital, where she received treatment as a child.

For now, Jaswal and her team are doing everything without funding, she said, adding that the organization will need to start fundraising and applying for grants as it continues to grow.

All of the activities are currently in digital format, available on their website, but eventually Jaswal would like to offer printed versions, too.

So far, she’s even saved up about $900 from her own spare cash and birthday money, she said, to help pay for other items, such as more stuffed animals and promotional efforts.  

Jaswal has also published a novella she wrote, titled Colours for Courage, that she is selling on Amazon to raise more funds.  

“After doing a collaboration, or seeing a kid share their work with us, that definitely makes me feel like the work and time we’re putting in is a good thing,” she said. “It’s a good way to give back to the community.”

Reporter

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