TCH and Little Smiles Partner to Bring Joy to Pediatric Patients

(May 2, 2022) - Treasure Coast Hospice announced today that it has partnered with Little Smiles of Florida to help bring smiles and special moments to the children and teens receiving care through its Little Treasures Pediatric Care Program. 

Little Smiles of Florida, a nonprofit organization based in Palm Beach County, helps kids from Ft. Pierce to Miami be kids during difficult times. Founded in 1999, the organization brings smiles to the faces of children in hospitals, shelters, and other facilities through events, activities, and gifts.

“Treasure Coast Hospice is honored to be the first hospice organization to partner with Little Smiles of Florida,” said Director of Grief Support & Pediatric Services Jacki Nardone. “Our team is trained to provide the specialized care that pediatric patients need but it’s the extra things that they choose to do for our Little Treasures and their families that make their work so rewarding. Partnering with Little Smiles will give us more opportunities to create special moments that will become cherished memories for our pediatric families.”

“It is my pleasure to announce Treasure Coast Hospice as one of our pediatric partners,” said Little Smiles Executive Director Nicole Mercado. “Their pediatric program, Little Treasures, is truly a model in providing specialized palliative care for children and teens facing life-limiting illnesses and support for their families. Little Smiles looks forward to working with the Little Treasures Team by helping them with individual requests or program-wide activities that will bring smiles to their pediatric patients.”

The first collaboration planned by the programs was a UCF-themed Tailgate Party for an Okeechobee patient. Since the teen’s plans to attend college have been put on hold, the Little Treasures Team wanted to do something special to lift his spirits. With the support of Little Smiles, this young student enjoyed a “game-day experience” at his home surrounded by family and friends. 

About Treasure Coast Hospice’s Little Treasures Program

Little Treasures is Treasure Coast Hospice’s specialized pediatric program. The goal of the program is to improve the quality of life for children and teens with life-limiting illness by supporting the entire family with palliative and hospice care. By surrounding patients and their families with individualized care and support, the interdisciplinary Little Treasures Team addresses the medical, psychosocial and spiritual concerns of those they care for by providing intensive pain and symptom management along with counseling, guidance and education. 

About Little Smile of Florida

Little Smiles of Florida, a nonprofit organization based in Palm Beach County, helps kids from Ft. Pierce to Miami be kids during difficult times. Founded in 1999, the organization brings smiles to the faces of children in hospitals, shelters, and other facilities through events, activities, and gifts. Little Smiles has partnered with more than 35 pediatric facilities from Ft. Pierce to Miami, serving close to 50,000 individuals throughout the region in 2021.

About Treasure Coast Hospice

Celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year, Treasure Coast Hospice is a non-profit community organization of skilled professionals and dedicated volunteers whose mission is to provide access to compassionate, caring, expert and professional hospice and grief support services to patients and families at the end of life. Founded in 1982, Treasure Coast Hospice has grown to serve more than 4,000 patients annually in Martin, St. Lucie and Okeechobee counties. Thanks to the generous support of our community, the Treasure Coast Hospice Foundation is able to fund comprehensive hospice and grief support programs for Treasure Coast Hospice, including three Inpatient Units for those who need a higher level of care, the specialized pediatric program Little Treasures, music therapy, massage therapy, virtual reality experiences, individual and group bereavement services, and Camp Good Grief for children who have experienced the loss of a loved one.