Mount Sinai and Smilezone Foundation are expecting!

The whole family should be able to welcome its newest member together: that’s what many parents want today, a chance for all their loved ones to gather together and celebrate the new arrival.  But achieving this vision can mean long hours in a stark waiting room as the mother labours – and for those supervising young children, those hours can feel like an eternity.  Missing their parents, often confused and bored, most labour and delivery waiting rooms offer little if any entertainment for stressed or active kids. 

But it doesn’t have to be that way. 

In spring 2015, a new Smilezone – a kid-friendly, smile-inducing area – will open in the Family Waiting Room of the Slaight Family Labour & Delivery Unit at Mount Sinai Hospital.  The Smilezone, designed to help give kids a fun and relaxing experience at the hospital, will feature a basketball theme – so it was fitting that one of Toronto’s favourite former Raptors, Jerome Williams (a.k.a. Junk Yard Dog or JYD) was on hand to celebrate the news with us.

“I’m really humbled and honoured to have this Smilezone themed for me,” said Mr. Williams, a Smilezone supporter and father of two children born at Sinai.  “My family had such a great experience here, and this project really reflects what I hold dear – the happiness of kids.  I’ve seen first-hand the impact that a Smilezone can have, and I’m proud to lend my name to this initiative.”

Smilezone Foundation has already completed five Smilezones in hospitals and health centres in Ontario.  Looking to make a big impact with their next project, they identified Mount Sinai as a centre for family health – focused around moms and babies – that provided a real opportunity to contribute to the community.

“Becoming a big brother or sister can be a stressful experience,” noted Scott Bachly, Chair and Founding Member of Smilezone Foundation.  “We wanted to make sure the little ones waiting had a fun, bright, great experience in a safe and comforting environment.   JYD immediately supported the idea and raved about the care his family received at Mount Sinai.  It’s a great step toward improving kids’ lives, one smile at a time.”

Almost 7,000 babies are born each year at Mount Sinai, and many of those births are high-risk, putting pressure on families, including children.

“It will be great to have a space where families can really relax in our new, state-of-the-art labour and delivery unit,” said Dr. Mathew Sermer, Obstetrician & Gynaecologist-in-Chief at Mount Sinai Hospital.  “We’re very grateful for the support of Smilezone Foundation and Mr. Williams.”

Smilezone Foundation is an independent charity committed to putting smiles on kid's faces. They do so by creating, building and transforming areas in hospitals, private treatment and development centres and children's clinics, in order to improve the lives of children facing illness, disabilities and physical and emotional obstacles.