At twelve years old, Brooke Lax learned firsthand how scary, isolating, and unpredictable a hospital stay can be. After being hospitalized due to a complex heart condition, she experienced what childhood looks like when confined to hospital walls.
But Brooke also saw how much of a difference it made when someone took the time to lift children’s spirits in the hospital, even for a moment.
That spark of compassion became the foundation for Packing a Smile, the philanthropic initiative she created as a young teen, and continues to lead today as a proud young adult. Inspired by her sister, Mya, and her passion for donating school supplies to underprivileged children, Packing a Smile’s mission is simple and powerful: Packing a Smile for those who could use one.
Brooke and her team collect toys, books, games, stuffed animals, and other comfort items from generous partners and companies, and assemble them into gift bags for children spending long periods in the hospital or navigating serious illnesses. They also engage local community groups and classrooms through their “The Smile Project” community initiative to create custom cards of hope and inspiration to accompany their gift bags.
What started out as a localized initiative soon grew to include hospitals all across Ontario, and now, through her recent partnership with Childhood Cancer Canada, Packing a Smile is reaching children across Canada – one smile at a time.
Including Packing a Smile items in our EmPower Packs, Brooke’s gifts now reach newly diagnosed children across Canada. Together, we’ve brought comfort, hope, and smiles on some of the hardest days.
Brooke’s involvement in the childhood cancer community began approximately five years ago when she met a family whose child had recently been diagnosed with cancer. Since then, her commitment to the pediatric oncology community has grown tremendously.
Recognizing that illness impacts the whole family, her work, volunteerism, and collaborations with organizations such as Childhood Cancer Canada, Campfire Circle, and SickKids have directly supported children and families and helped create unforgettable experiences. One such experience included bringing several children affected by cancer to their first-ever Toronto Maple Leafs game. Each interaction with pediatric oncology families strengthens her belief that moments of joy matter, especially to kids facing battles far bigger than they should ever have to.
For this ambitious university student, knowing that she is easing fear, brightening hospital stays, and reminding families they’re not alone fuels her passion to keep expanding Packing a Smile to reach more children and more families each year. In addition to Packing a Smile, Brooke is also a SickKids Ambassador and Alumni Patient Ambassador, and as a corporate guest speaker, shares the impact that her hospital stays had on her and her hopes to transform adversity into resilience and empowerment.
Brooke’s journey proves that one person’s compassion can spark meaningful change. As she reflects on packing more than 2,500 smiles since 2018, she knows this impact was never hers alone. She is deeply grateful for the people who have lifted her along the way especially her greatest champion, her mom, Stacey, and the many high school volunteers across Ontario who help carry forward Packing a Smile’s mission. Together, they are quietly inspiring others to turn personal challenges into powerful community impact.
We can’t wait to see where Brooke’s heart of gold will lead her next.
To learn more about Packing a Smile, please follow Brooke on Instagram at –https://www.instagram.com/packingasmile/
To learn more about the Childhood Cancer Canada EmPower Pack program, please visit – https://www.childhoodcancer.ca/empower-pack/
If you are interested in contributing to the EmPower Pack program, please visit – www.childhoodcancer.ca/donate
