15-year-old girl "awakens" smiles in child patients.

Having spent her childhood in hospitals, this 15-year-old girl has created a silent "remedy" that pulls young patients out of their long, sad days in hospital beds.

Ayona Jaswal, from London, Ontario, Canada, began battling illness from the moment she was born, undergoing liver surgery just two hours after delivery. Since then, hospitalizations have become a familiar part of her childhood.

Now, at age 15, attending high school, Jaswal understands very well what it feels like to be a child "stuck" in a hospital bed, utterly exhausted and bored.

"Not only the child but also the entire family is under immense pressure witnessing their child go through such a terrible experience," Jaswal shared.

Drawing from that personal experience, last summer Jaswal launched The Kindness and Smile Zone – an online platform for children undergoing treatment in hospitals. Here, they can download activity sets including games and quizzes, and sign up to receive personalized cards and letters of encouragement from volunteers.

Jaswal's goal is simple yet meaningful: to help children remain creative, playful, and feel cared for, even during the most challenging times.

After posting her first activity, which was released on Canada Day in 2025, a young child sent Ayona Jaswal the finished Canadian flag.

The first set of activities she posted coincided with Canada Day in 2025. "I thought that even just one child taking a look would be enough. If they send back their work, I can write a few lines of feedback, hopefully enough to make them smile," Jaswal said.

The moment a child sent in a drawing of the Canadian flag they had made themselves, Jaswal realized the project could go far beyond its initial expectations. Because the entire activity took place online, it's difficult to accurately count the number of participants. However, based on the feedback and submitted projects, Jaswal estimates that at least several hundred children responded.

From personal ideas to community networks

After more than a year, The Kindness and Smile Zone is no longer a small-scale project. The group has partnered with organizations such as Stuffies for Smiles and has joined the Pillar non-profit network in London through its community membership program.

"We are truly impressed with Ayona Jaswal's dedication and creativity in her work. Connecting with her and her organization has been incredibly inspiring as we build a meaningful partnership," commented Anahí González, Pillar's Membership Officer.

According to Ms. González, Jaswal's project is a prime example of community-driven initiatives – where care and creativity are transformed into concrete values ​​that touch people's emotions. It also demonstrates the effort to build a more cohesive and equitable community.

Jaswal has now gathered around 25 volunteers from 9 countries to help design content and write letters for the children.

Furthermore, the project has expanded to include blog posts providing knowledge about mental health, illnesses, and coping with diagnoses, along with a series of online workshops featuring doctors and medical students.

Ayona Jaswal donates stuffed animals to sick children.

In recent months, Jaswal has also raised around 250 teddy bears to donate to sick children. Her next goal is to raise funds for SickKids Hospital, where she received treatment as a child.

Currently, all operations are being maintained without official funding. Jaswal stated that the group will soon have to seek funding and support to continue expanding.

Although the materials are currently in digital form, Jaswal hopes to be able to provide a print version in the future to reach more children.

Notably, Jaswal saved approximately $900 (nearly 24 million VND) from his pocket money and birthday gifts to cover expenses such as stuffed animals and media coverage.

In parallel, she also published a short novel titled Colours for Courage , which was sold on Amazon to raise funds for the project.

"Just seeing a young person share my product or a successful collaboration lets me know that what I'm doing is worthwhile. That's how I contribute a small part to the community," Jaswal said happily.

Source: CBC

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/thieu-nu-15-tuoi-danh-thuc-nu-cuoi-cua-cac-benh-nhi-238260423143730887.htm