Emily's Smile Boxes

If you’ve ever spent time in a hospital, you know there can be long waits, lots of down-time, and very little to do while you’re waiting to get information form doctors and other healthcare professionals.

Emily, a 5th grader, has spent a lot of time at the hospital because her little brother suffered a stroke before he was born. She and her family would often have little to keep them occupied while they were at the hospital, and

Emily noticed other kids in the same situation. So Emily decided she would do something to help make the experience of being at the hospital a little better.

She created Smile Boxes, and her story is a great example of kids making a difference. From her site:
“We strive to give enough boxes to local children's hospitals so that every patient, and their sibling will receive a box. My boxes contain neat smiley face objects, games, toys, colors, and inspirational messages. I put a lot into these boxes, and each one costs about $15 to make.”

You can help by donating to her cause here: http://www.emilyssmileboxes.com/

Like all of the inspiring kids we’ve blogged about, Emily saw a problem, and she took action to do something about it. Congratulations to Emily on being an inspirational kid who clearly cares about others.

Do you know an inspiring young person? We’d love to hear about him or her. It’s easy to toot a horn for your inspiring kid. Post a blog on this site, submit a story for inclusion in my book “Kids Who Inspire,” or email me at gordon@kidswhoinspire.com.