OUR MISSION

“The department of Social Work and Care Coordination at New York Presbyterian- Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital would like to thank Smiles from Joey INC for their assistance in helping one of our patients obtain a DME that is not covered by his health insurance. Our patient has a complicated medical history and is developmentally delayed. This equipment will be of much benefit for her and will aid with her home therapies as well as overall growth and development enabling safe seating and positioning. Thank you Smiles from Joey once again, this patient’s family as well as our department are very grateful for you.”

Sending out a big thank you to all our Smiles from Joey Supporters for bringing more smiles to another family! ❤️

“The Social Work and Care Coordination Department at New York Presbyterian- Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital would like to thank Smiles from Joey for their generous contribution towards one of our patient’s. This 9 month old boy with a genetic condition associated with progressivelimited body movement was in need of an equipment for home that is not covered by health insurance: a tumbleform chair. We reached out to Smiles from Joey and immediately received a favorable response and were able to obtain the chair for our patient. Thank you Smiles from Joey, we truly appreciate your contribution and support!”

Thank you so much to all of our Smiles from Joey supporters for helping us bring more smiles to children in need of adaptive medical equipment.

Last year we started working with Blythedale Children’s Hospital. While visiting with the equipment team we it was brought to our attention a family who was in desperate need for a loaner chair as their child had grown out of their own chair. The insurance company was stalling the process for months. Things like this are incredibly frustrating when your already dealing with so much.

Smiles from Joey was thrilled to be able to provide 2 in house adaptive wheels chairs for Blythedale, we also purchased 2 iPads with communication device for children that need help with nonverbal communication.

None of this would be possible without all of our supporters and we want you to know how much we appreciate you and all the families you help us bring smiles to!

Thank you so much for the iPad and communication app that you purchased for Brendin. It has literally given him a voice.

Brendin has Down syndrome. He is non verbal and understands much more than he is able to express. An IPad with communication apps was essential and has enabled him to tell us what his wants and needs are, how he feels and participate in all classroom, therapy and community activities. Since using the devise he has shown a decrease in frustration and behaviors. Brendin also has 2 brothers and is now able to interact with them in a more typical fashion.

This has been life changing for him and has made him so happy. Thanks again for your generosity and thoughtfulness.

Isla is a 4-year-old girl with Rhett Syndrome; global developmental delay. She is unable to sit without support and requires a car seat for travel in the family car. Isla has outgrown her commercially available care seat and required a special needs car seat. Her insurance called the car seat medically unnecessary. Smiles from Joey was able to obtain the specials needs seat and allows Isla to travel safely in her family car to medical appointments and family events in the community. Isla and her family are so thankful for smiles from Joey for caring about children with Special needs.

“This 4 year old has fair control of his head and trunk with weak muscles in his arms and legs. He needs maximal assistance to stand up. He has never exhibited the ability to walk until he tried the Rifton Pacer gait trainer. By his age, most children have the ability to independently explore his environment. Thank you to Smiles From Joey for funding the Rifton Pacer gait trainer that was denied by his insurance.”

“Smiles from Joey helped get our family a gait trainer which is taking away all the restrictions and limitations. It can enable oneself to walk and explore the outdoor world with the appropriate parts and with it comes the development of the brain, giving the person and all the surrounding people a chance for a better life. With a lot of appreciation we are thanking Smiles from Joey for helping make this become a reality”

Thank you so much to Smiles from Joey for Elena’s cricket stroller. Elena is a nine-year-old girl who is missing part of her brain. She is able to move around by herself but needs somebody with her to make sure she is safe at all times. Elena needed a wheelchair that could fold so her mother could take her out of the house, Running to the store or going to community events. Her insurance company would not fund a cricket stroller because they felt it was only for the convenience of her parents. Thank you so much smiles from Joey for helping Elena.

Thank you Smiles from Joey for the
Theraplay - Cycles for Life Tracker 20 adaptive bicycle! Brian is a vibrant eight year old boy, who loves finding new adventures. Brian has Ataxia-Telangiectasia which impacts his body systems in many different ways. This bicycle will not only be great exercise for Brian, but will also allow him to keep up with his peers and cruise around town on bike rides! It will help him continue to break down barriers and allow him to continue smiling and laughing with his friends and family. Thank you! We are so grateful!

This 5 year old boy is diagnosed with a Miller-Dieker Syndrome and is tracheostomy and Gtube dependent. A Tumble form chair is a Durable Medical Equipment that will highly benefit him at home however it is not covered by health insurance. We reached out to Smiles from Joey, immediately received a favorable response and were able to obtain the chair for our patient. Thank you Smiles from Joey, we truly appreciate your contribution and support!”

This 14-year-old had a Pediatric transport wheelchair that recently broke. The family needed a lightweight folding transport chair for a quick use when going to and from appointments as they have a difficult time managing his personal propulsion style chair outside the home. Unfortunately the family was informed that Insurance will not pay for the wheelchair. SmilesfromJoey is thankful to be able to help and would not be able to do this without all of the help from our supporters! Thank you so much

My name is Charlie and thanks to Smiles from Joey, I can now sit up and see the world! I have Down Syndrome and Epilepsy and my body just isn’t quite strong enough to sit up without a little extra help. Smiles from Joey helped me get my brand new Special Tomato Soft Touch Sitter in my favorite color! I love sitting in my chair to eat, play, and watch all the farm animals out my living room window. Thank you so much Smiles from Joey for making this possible!!

Thank you to all our Smiles from Joey supporters. ❤️

We are so happy to be able to send sets of graduated cylinders to CHONY for families starting the ketogenic diet. I am so glad we can help parents with limited funds as they start a new dietary journey with their child.

Our Mission

Smiles from Joey is a nonprofit organization that provides adaptive equipment for children with special needs.

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Daniel Francis is a 9yr male who was brought to Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York Presbyterian to receive treatment for metastatic glioblastoma of the left parietal lobe. Daniel has undergone surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy during the past few month to help with his brain tumor. Due to the side effects of these treatments, he has become physically weak requiring assistance for activities of daily living and requires to be transported in a wheelchair. Due to the type of insurance that Daniel has, it was becoming difficult to provide a safe discharge for him requiring a wheelchair, a commode, and a shower chair for home. His mother had to stop working and travel here from Jamaica in order to provide care for him and they are residing with her sister during this difficult time. Due to their limited funds and issues with their insurance, it was proving difficult to provide him with the equipment he needed for proper care at home. Thanks to the wonderful support from Smiles from Joey, who purchased his commode & shower chair and rented his wheelchair for 3 months, he was able to be discharge. Smiles from Joey's generosity has helped Daniel spend more time at home with his family while be safe and comfortable. The family is forever grateful for Smiles from Joey's support during this time.

This request is for a 15 year old girl that sustained an acute infarct of the spinal cord and Anterior Cord Syndrome. She was left with no function of either of her legs and overall weakness with pain in her body. She is working hard with OT and PT sessions and has regain the ability to walk with a walker and participates in her self-care with use of a shower chair. Thank you to Smile From Joey for supplying the shower chair that is allowing her the independence and safety to perform her self-care hygiene without assistance in a safe manner.

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"Daniel is beyond grateful for his new wheel-chair. Daniel was born a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. He has been in and out of the hospital his whole life. He had been struggling uncomfortably in his old wheelchair which is too small and constricting for him. His Insurance would not cover a new wheel-chair for two more years. It has been a blessing to be able to get a wheelchair where he can feel free to have movement and not feel constricted. We are so thankful to Smiles from Joey for their generosity. Daniel's quality of life has improved due to this wonderful organization. Thank you."

“The Social Work and Care Coordination Department at New York Presbyterian-Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital would like to thank Smiles from Joey for their generosity towards one of our patients who is being discharged home for the first time. She is 3 years old and due to her medical complexity has been residing in a hospital for the entirety of her life. In the attempt of obtaining all the durable medical equipment she will need for home, we came across one that would not be covered by her insurance. We reached out to Smiles from Joey who after reviewing the situation immediately agreed to cover the expense so that this patient can get the tumbleform chair she needs for home. Thank you so much Smiles from Joey for meeting this patient’s need and for all that you do.”

"My family cannot thank Smiles from Joey enough for donating a brand new stander for our son, Benjamin. He was diagnosed with Miller Dieker Syndrome, which is an extremely rare and life-limiting condition, when he was 2 weeks old. At 19 months old now, he has spent most of his life in the hospital. The stander is an important piece of home equipment for him, but it is often not covered by insurance. This stander will be important for him in preventing/limiting his hospitalizations so he can enjoy more time at home with his family and friends. It means a lot to us to receive such a great gift, and an organization like Smiles from Joey help me and my wife remain hopeful for Benjamin even with this devastating diagnosis. Thank you Smiles from Joey for giving our family a better quality of life."

Oryan is a 7 month old who was diagnosed with a brain tumor at only 4 months old. He has spent half his life in a hospital bed. After a few difficult brain surgeries, he was able to receive PT/OT to work on his motor skills, strength, and connection with his family. His mother was finally able to hold him after months of not being able to do so. This led him to start utilizing a tumble form which has allowed him to be moved out of bed and sit with support. Oryan continues to be weak from all of the treatment he has received and the tumble form has provided support and better quality of life for him. Unfortunately, tumble forms are very expensive and not covered by insurance. Thanks to Smiles from Joey, Oryan now has a tumble form he can use at home. Thank you so much, Smiles from Joey! Mom is decorating the chair for when he comes home this week. ❤

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“The Child Life department at New York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital is so appreciative of the generous donation of equipment for accessibility and play materials to assist the children at our hospital. As Certified Child Life Specialists we work with children of all ages and abilities to ensure they have developmentally appropriate explanations of medical procedures, distraction during these procedures, and access to play materials to assist in coping with hospitalization. With these new supplies the patients will be able to use our playrooms and play at bedside in a whole new way! Thank you Smiles from Joey, we could not do our job without your support!”

Bringing smiles to other families

Brianna is a 12yo who was diagnosed with B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia June of 2017. Unfortunately, Brianna has relapsed and has been in and out the hospital the past 6 months. Due to these frequent admissions and strong chemotherapy drugs, she has become severely deconditioned with difficulty walking. We struggled with getting a wheelchair via her insurance but thanks to Smiles from Joey, Inc., we were able to get her a wheelchair just in time for her discharge. Brianna is a vibrant young girl whose only wish is to visit all the museums in the city and be with her family during the time she has left. Smiles from Joey continues to make our patient's lives better with their assistance.

Peri is a bright and remarkable 17 year old girl diagnosed with Nemaline Myopathy who has used a ventilator since she was 2, has had 8 spinal surgeries and more than 20 other surgeries. Peri is a rising senior in high school and is part of the National Honor Society. Peri received a Wombat chair when she was younger as her power wheelchair did not fit in her home with all of her necessary respiratory equipment. Insurance will not cover any repairs or modifications on the Wombat chair as they will only cover her primary seating device, her power wheelchair. Thanks to Smiles for Joey, Peri will receive the modifications on her wombat chair including a headrest, hip guides, chest harness, foot plate, laterals and seat belt for safety and comfort. With the help of Smiles for Joey, Peri will have a chair available to complete homework, study, watch TV and sit at the dinner table with her family. The modifications to the wombat chair will give her the support in sitting to complete her long homework assignments so that she can keep her grades up in high school, graduate and enroll in a great college!

Andrés is a 15-year-old boy with static epileptic encephalopathy, spastic quadriplegia, cerebral palsy and medically refractory epilepsy since age 2 months. His family fought very hard to get him an adaptive wheelchair for years, however the insurance company would not pay for the attachments that assist with his tracheostomy and G tube. Smiles from joey was able to help the family purchase the additional attachments.

“The donation helps my family move forward in life. I am so thankful for Smiles from Joey who care about children with special needs like my son. It has really helped us a lot. For 10 years I have tried to get the wheelchair, and now we can finally be able to use it.”- Mother of Andrés

Kiki is a sweet and smart 9 year old girl. In September of 2017, Kiki sustained a stroke, which has left her nonverbal. Kiki understands everything that is said to her, but is unable to consistently and effectively express herself, which leads to frustration. Thanks to Smiles from Joey, she now has an iPad mounted to her wheelchair with communication applications. This wonderful donation allows her to participate in activities, make request, and express wants, needs and feelings.
Thank you from the Assistive Technology Center at Blythedale Children’s Hospital!

“Thank you to Smiles from Joey for helping this family and their sweet 3 year old boy who has complex medical needs. He depends upon a ventilator and 24 hour bedside care. His mother asked for help to set up a bathing system in his room at home close to his medical supports to allow for his bath care. This will make bath time alittle easier for the family.”

We are so happy to share these stories with all our supporters. It is an incredible feeling to be able to help in such sweet memory of Joey.

Smiles from Joey received a request from one of our the pediatric hospitals on a toy adaptation program. They are trying to educate staff and students about electronics and pediatrics rehabilitation. It’s an opportunity to learn how to modify toys so they could be used with a variety of different switches depending on the needs of the child. These two types of toys would be great for the staff and students to learn on and gift to the children here at Hospital to have a toy modified to their own needs they can operate. The goal was to obtain 15 of each toy. We are so happy to be able to help with this program. All of our supporters make this possible!
Thank you so much!
Smiles from Joey

The department of social work and care coordination at New York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital would like to thank Smiles from Joey Inc. for their assistance in helping one of our patients. Due to his extensive medical history this patient finds it very challenging to walk and hence chooses to stay home instead of being outdoors. A wheelchair is not covered by his insurance. Having this lightweight wheelchair will help him enjoy more time in the outdoors and with fresh air. Thank you smiles from Joey once again this patient’s family as well as our department are very grateful

We are beyond grateful for Edison's tomato chair for feeding. Since day one Edison has been a fighter. Having a stroke at birth made for an eventful start to life. Edison has dysphagia that led him to getting a gtube. We have to keep him upright to prevent aspiration even with the gtube. Edison has hypotonia that makes sitting up for long periods of time difficult. This chair will help reduce the many hospital stays for aspiration pneumonia and make feeding him much easier. When the hospital told us insurance would not cover this chair so we reached out to Smiles from Joey and were able to get this chair fast for Edison. Thank you so much! -Edison’s Mommy

Our decision to use funds for adaptive equipment was easy. We truly empathize with families who are struggling emotionally and financially while caring for a child with severe disabilities. We spent many months fighting with insurance companies only to find that the things we so desperately needed were not covered by our medical insurance. We would like to help families acquire adaptive equipment - products that can improve every day life. If you think Smiles from Joey can help your child, please ask the social work department at your child's hospital to contact us.

This one year old was born with a neurological disorder that limits her physical strength and mobility. This makes it difficult for her to play with commercially available toys like her peers. She has been hospitalized most of her life and cannot breathe on her own. Despite her medical challenges she is a social little girl, eager to interact with people in the world. Right now, she is so weak that she does not have the strength to hold or manipulate toys, but switch adapted toys and speech generating devices are used in her occupational and speech therapy sessions to help her be able to play and communicate more effectively. The jumbo switch is easy to press and can connect to other adaptable toys. The red big talk enables her to press a button and say a pre-corded message. These devices will have a huge impact on her development and quality-of-life by improving her ability to interact with her family, stimulating her brain development and helping her learn new tasks when she is limited to accessing typical toys. This little girls insurance does not cover the cost of adaptable toys, we are so happy to be able to help.

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Smiles fromJoey

Miguel is 8 years old with relapsed Neuroblastoma. He has undergone a significant amount of therapy involving chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy and a stem cell transplant. Despite this, his disease has persisted. Miguel is currently receiving palliative therapy as well as hospice care at home. Miguel’s disease has affected his ability to ambulate and is in desperate need for a new stroller, financially unable to provide and is not covered by insurance.

Smiles from Joey was able to provide the new stroller and it has been such a huge relief for them. Miguel is so much more comfortable and this has made a difference in his ease of coming and going to the hospital. His mother and grandmother are so grateful for your organization!

Quinnyiu is a 7 year old boy with sulfite oxidase deficiency, congenital quadriplegia, global developmental delay and abnormal seizure movements. He is non-verbal, non-ambulatory and dependent on his caregivers for all basic mobility and self-care.

Quinn was measured for a new chair in February 2015. His existing chair was undersized with his shoulders spilling over the sides and his knees compressed so that they were higher than his pelvis, however, Quinn was not eligible for a new stroller through Medicaid. Quinn and his family struggled for over 2 years maneuvering his wheelchair to doctor appointments and in the community before connecting with Smiles From Joey. With the support of Smiles From Joey, Quinn’s family was able to purchase a Convaid Trekker, which allows Quinn to access medical care in an appropriate seating device with optimal positioning and facilitating a more comfortable seated posture. Thank you Smiles From Joey for helping to keep Quinn safe and happy!

Che’ is a young boy that was forced to be home schooled due to his narcolepsy (sudden falling to sleep with difficulty arousing) and cataplexy (sudden falling out with body limpness). His mother in constant stress, afraid he will be injured, was a strong advocate to obtain a Convaid Rodeo tilt in space stroller for her son’s use. Insurance viewed component/parts of the stroller request as “convenience” and not medically necessary for home use. With Smiles from Joey’s donation, Che’ is safe at home and can also go safely out of home on family outings.
Thank you from the Seating and Mobility Service of the Assistive Technology Center at Blythedale Children’s Hospital!

This 3 ½ year old nonverbal child was seen at Blythedale Children’s Hospital for an Assistive Technology/Augmentative and Alternative Communication evaluation. At that time , an iPad mini with a communication app (Touch Chat HD-ACC with Word Power) was trialed and he used it successfully.

Thank you Smiles From Joey for funding his device and communication apps. This was denied by his insurance but will enabled him to participate in activities, make requests, express wants and needs, label items and state how he is feeling. He is now able to communicate in school with teachers and peers and at home with family and friends.

HOME

“We have been beyond blessed again today. Smiles from Joey Inc in New York and Grace Lutheran church in Thompson, Ohio have donated the money for our own home chamber. Im am completely beyond words. I am so grateful for the amount of support Jacob has received. I can't even describe the feeling that I have. So blessed beyond belief!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!! Always with [❤] Jacobs mommy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or HBOT, is a type of treatment that can help in Jacobs recovery. He suffered a hypoxic brain injury from lack of oxygen. He has had such a great response to hyperbarics and we wish Jacob and his family much success with this treatment

It warms my heart to see these smiles and know that our SFJ family of supporters are making a big difference in these children’s lives
-These two young ladies have Rifton Activity Chairs to give them support while sitting and doing activities at home.
-This young man has a new transportation wheelchair to get him around to places that are not as easy to access in his regular wheelchair.
-This little guy has arm and hand braces to help him drive is new power wheelchair among other things.
-And this little cutie has fun adaptive toys, to help her learn and play like her peers now.

This young nine-year-old boy began treatment for a brain tumor beginning in February 2019 at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital. . He was initially scheduled for surgical resection of his tumor with a plan for short recovery. However, His surgery had severe and unexpected complications that required placement of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt for hydrocephalus, a gastrointestinal tube for feeding, and a complex regimen of medications, subspecialty care, and intensive rehabilitation. Since this devastating incident, he was hospitalized for 15 months. His neurological and endocrine system are devastated.

At this time, His complex care team includes: oncology, neurology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, cardiology, primary care, and rehab medicine. These unexpected and severe complications have made his recovery arduous and his medical status tenuous. The young boy is a total care child with exceptional needs.

The request was made for a cubby bed. He has significant physical limitations, and narcolepsy that keep him awake at night and without the respite from OPWDD keep him at risk of falls. The cubby bed is a smart bed that allows the family to check on him virtually, and remain in his bed safely. Given the lack of adequate insurance, your support to Smiles from Joey has allowed us to be able to purchase this bed for the family.

Valentina is a 3-year-old with multiple medical issues who is wheelchair/bed bound. Valentina's mom was struggling to find ways to prop her up during the day so that she could be more involved. The family had been using blankets and towels to prop her up, but inevitably she would slide back into an uncomfortable position. Mom found the P-Pod Chair by Inspiredbydrive and knew that this would provide Valentina exactly the support and comfort that she needed to sit up. Unfortunately, insurance wouldn't cover the chair and the expense was too much.
Thanks you once again to all our Smiles from Joey supporters, you have helped us provide Valentina with her new P-pod and her quality of life has been significantly improved.