North Shore local Michelle Key is on a mission to make hospitals a more comfortable experience through her beloved charity foundation.
Michelle is the founder of North Shore Mums Smiles 2U, an entirely voluntary charity which aims to bring care and comfort to the many children, parents, and carers who pass through the Emergency doors of our local hospitals every day.
Michelle came up with the idea of Smiles2U just under seven years ago while spending countless hours sitting and waiting around in hospitals on the North Shore.
A caring mother of three young boys, all of which at some point found themselves in hospital, Michelle soon became a hospital waiting room veteran.
“There is only so much one can do on an iPad. After a couple of hours, even YouTube can become mind-numbing,” she says.
During her anxious times waiting for test results or news of her boys’ condition, she noticed the frustration and restlessness of many other parents and kids that were in similar situations.
“Just being there for an unknown duration of time while trying to anticipate what’s happening is a truly uncomfortable situation,” Michelle says.
So, after months of planning and speaking to hospitals, she came up with the concept of creating activity packs designed for kids.
“We all know hospitals are not fun environments for kids, but if we can distract them and make it a positive experience for them, everyone wins,” she
says.
Several years on and Smiles2U is providing activity and care bags to children in twelve local and regional hospitals around NSW.
The packs include fun and creative activities, such as puzzles, colouring books, and more, depending on the recipient’s age.
“Whether it’s to calm them down before having a needle or distract them from pain, everything is designed to help,” Michelle says.
On top of that, they also create toiletry packs for parents caught unprepared for hospital stays, cancer care packs, and care packages for parents staying at
local children’s palliative care facility, Bear Cottage.
“If we can help give some joy to a child and something nice for the parents as well, we know that is something we would appreciate if we were in those sort
of situations,” she says.
Devoted to her cause, Michelle operates Smiles2U entirely out of the goodness of her heart.
“Ever since I was in primary school, I’ve always been one to help others, and where I feel that there is a need to, I want to get in there and help people,” she says.
“It’s all for love. The joy that I receive when we get feedback from families of kids in hospitals is what keeps me going.”
Smiles 2U has established itself as a vital organisation that has profoundly impacted thousands of families on the North Shore and around NSW.
So much so that in 2020, Smiles2U became a registered charity with a deductible gift recipient (DGR) status.
Michelle’s devotion to giving back was also recognised last year at the Ku-ring-gai Council Australia Day Awards, where she was awarded Citizen of the Year for making a significant contribution to the local community.
“To be honest, it was quite an honour to receive it. Getting nominated was enough, I was genuinely so pleased,” she says.
“It has really helped us get our name out there and get support from locals and local businesses to continue the work we do in hospitals.”
If you would like to make a donation or find out more information about Michelle’s work, please visit northshoremumssmiles2u.com/.