CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Jenna Brown’s daughter, Sydney, was diagnosed with a neuroblastoma at just 4-months old.
“It was the worst thing,” Brown said. “ I told the doctor he was in the wrong room when he came and told me, because it made no sense at all.”
Throughout all of the testing, scans, and treatments, Jenna Brown told WBBM Newsradio some of the best moments came when she and Sydney cuddled up with a story.
“When we're together, just reading a book, none of this matters,” Brown said. “The cancer's not real, you know, she's a normal kid.”
That’s what led the Oswego resident to create Love Smiles, a nonprofit organization that brings smiles to those fighting pediatric cancer through stories.
Jenna Brown, who’s a reading teacher, partnered with authors across the country to create an app and website specifically for kids in Chicago-area hospitals.
“You can go to your social worker, your child life specialist, and they can give you the passcode. When you use this passcode on the stories button, it opens up all these videos that authors and illustrators are creating just for us," Brown said.
Love Smiles also makes comfort kits which include crayons, colored pencils, markers, and drawing tools children may need for the interactive videos.
With Sydney now six months in remission, Brown hopes Love Smiles will bring awareness to pediatric cancer while providing a small sense of comfort to those diagnosed and their families.
“Let me get you and your kid, those five minutes of peace that I needed so badly with mine,” she said.
During the month of December, the non-profit is hosting a book drive and asking for donations of new books, coloring books, and sketch pads.
Items can be dropped off at locations, including Thrivent, in Lockport; Naperville Shoe & Luggage; and the Bedford Park Community Center.
An Amazon Wishlist is also available here.
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