of what we do. ey think of us as the camp for children
with cancer on the lake, but we do much more than that,"
DeRieux said.
ey offer hospital and outpatient outreach to patients
and their families on Children's of Alabama's hematology/
oncology floor in Birmingham.
"ere is where we are oen meeting our kids and
their families, oen on the day of their diagnosis because
we have a full-time presence at the hospital," DeRieux
said. "We try to provide home and a sense of normalcy
and community during their journey. We are with these
families from diagnosis, during treatment and through
the years beyond."
e nonprofit also offers many programs at Smile-A-
Mile Place, which is a couple of blocks from the hospital.
Other Smile-A-Mile outreach includes scholarships for
cancer patients and survivors, sponsoring a fellow at
Children's and bereavement care. Smile-A-Mile also
sponsors regional events across the state.
"We serve families for all over Alabama. ere is no
organization in Alabama doing what we do on the scale in
which we do it. People come from all over to be treated at
Children's, but when they leave, they still need support,"
DeRieux said. "But sometimes it's hard for them to get
back to Birmingham to participate in programs or go
to camp. We have started providing programs in these
different regions across Alabama."
For more information about Smile-A-Mile programs and
outreach and how you can support the work they do, visit
smileamile.com.
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| 2019 Vol: 3
