Smile–A–Mile

Mission

Smile-A-Mile’s mission is to provide hope, healing of the spirit and love for the whole family during the childhood cancer journey. Through year-round meaningful and educational programming, Smile-A-Mile helps those in Alabama who are affected by childhood cancer thrive during treatment and the years beyond.

Highlights

All programs Smile-A-Mile offers are provided at no cost to families.

Smile-A-Mile started in 1985 as a summer camp for children in Alabama with cancer. Over the years, the organization has grown to be a year-round program serving children and their families from diagnosis, during treatment and through the years beyond. A childhood cancer diagnosis impacts the entire family. Unfortunately, once a child completes treatment, the cancer journey does not end for the child or the family. There are often lifelong emotional and physical side effects of treatment. Smile-A-Mile is dedicated to providing these survivors and their families with a sense of normalcy, improved mental well-being and tools to help them cope with the disease no matter where they are in their journey. These year-round programs focus on bringing the family together while also meeting the unique needs of patients, survivors, parents and siblings. Smile-A-Mile’s home, Smile-AMile Place, is located in Birmingham but programs reach families from throughout the state. There is no other organization in Alabama serving this population with fully comprehensive programming for the entire family.

Through our Hospital Outreach Program, Smile-A-Mile provides both inpatient and outpatient programming to patients and their families.

We’ve awarded patients and survivors over a million dollars in scholarships for post-secondary education.

Smile-A-Mile serves families all across Alabama. Our Regional Outreach Program provides programming in areas with the highest numbers of families, including Tuscaloosa, Huntsville/Decatur, Auburn/ Opelika, Montgomery, Dothan and Birmingham.

We are dedicated to continuing support for bereaved families through programming, support groups, remembrance ceremonies and keepsakes that serve as tangible reminders of their children.