Thank You Notes

Thank you notes are the icing on our cake! We receive a smattering of notes, photos, and emails from the kiddos who received our arts and craft activities, from their parents, and from hospital staff members. They always put smiles on our faces.

I wanted to reach out and thank you, and everyone from Caitlin Smiles, for my monthly donations. These items positively impacts my patients and staff members. Both groups faces’ light up whenever we get a delivery. Thank you so much for the continued support!

- Tracey S. Kunj-Ramen, MS, CCLS Director, Child Life, South Oaks Hospital, Amityville, NY

Hi my name is Zoee. I am 5 years old and I had fun making this craft, Thank you so much!

- Zoee

Grace is so grateful for your coping kit while we visited the ER (in Dayton, Ohio).

- Jennifer

Thank you!

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Damari just wanted to share his turtle with you. Thank you.

- Yesenia

Brooklynne appreciated her bag she received this morning at WVU Children's!! It included a sketch book... Which happens to be one of her most favorite things!! Thank you so much for this gift! ❤️

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My daughter Luna and I would like to say thank you for the beautiful box of goodies that was sent to her here at Lucille Packard Children's Hospital in Stanford. We have been here for close to 2 months and it brought such a smile to Luna as she was opening it up! We appreciate your thoughtfulness and kindness. Thank you again,

- Joanne & Luna

On behalf of our family, we want to thank you for the bag of smiles! This definitely kept Julius preoccupied while he waited for his surgery.

- Marta

I just wanted to say thank you for making my son feel so loved after his emergency procedure!! It meant the world to him!! Keep up this amazing work because it truly makes a difference for EVERY SINGLE CHILD who receives a bag. 🥹💕🙏🏼

- Katy

Thank you.

- Josephine

Thanks so much for the thoughtful gift!! It sure made his day!

- Chrischa

Thank you so very much for the keychain craft, and all of the wonderful goodies in the gift bag we got at the hospital (Monmouth Medical Center)

- Liam K.

Hi, I want to thank you for the beautiful package you prepared that was delivered to my daughter during her hospital stay. You can see that a lot of thought goes into it and every detail is included. I can’t believe the hand drawn flowers on the bag just to add some cheer! You make the world a better place. Thanks!

- Aliza

Obrigada! Meu filho amou. Muito obrigada pelo carinho. Translation: Thank you! My son loved it. Thank you very much for caring.

- Francisca

Thank you for putting a smile on my daughter's face.

- Andrea

Thank you so much for the amazing care bag!

- Christina

My daughter is in the hospital and received one of your bags. Thank you for bringing a smile to her face during this difficult time!

- Tarah

Thank you!

- Katelynn

Chelsea is a 4-year-old at Harrisburg Pediatric unit and enjoying crafts from her Caitlin’s Smiles bag! Thank you for bringing her joy in a time of discomfort.

- Amanda

Jasper's craft. Thank you.

- Cassidy

Just wanted to send a special thank you for the bag of goodies. When my son received the bag, it truly put a smile on his face. We are so grateful for your kind donation.

- Melissa

My 11 year old son is having an unexpected hospital stay. Needless to say, he was very scared and this bag of goodies was unexpected and made his day. It put a huge smile on his face. I'm so grateful for the work you do to make this experience for kids less stressful. Please let me know how I can support your organization. This kind gesture made an impact in our family and I'd love to support however I can.

- Tracie

Hello and Thank you for the gift. He has been enjoying it since he got home. Thanks for making him smile.

- Yvonne

On behalf of the Ronald McDonald House here in Toledo Ohio, I would like thank you for your generous donation of craft/activity kits! Our families love being able to take these materials to their children in the hospital. It is a great bonding and stress relieving activity for them to do as a family. I loved reading more about your organization and the great work you all do. We appreciate your kindness and look forward to seeing the creativity of our families grow with your help.

- Lucy

I wanted to write and thank you for the awesome bag that your agency provided to my son during his recent hospital stay. This brightened both of our days and made our hospital experience so so much better. We can't thank you enough. My son was drawing, made awesome crafts, and was able to take his mind off of feeling awful. Your agency is doing amazing work. Thank you so very much.

- Tammy

Thank you for the little kit!! My daughter Georgia was so nervous but was very happy after getting this ❤️❤️

- Kimberly

"Thank You For Helping Them."

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Thank you so much for your coping kits and the sweet card from Bonnie H. My 5-year-old was admitted to the University of Maryland Medical Center on Sunday. Your kit has brought a smile to my son's face and gave us things to build, color, and play with in between the poking and prodding of doctors. Thank you so much for all you do for our kids.

- Paige

"Wanted to send you pics of my daughter enjoying your crafts today. She is recovering well. Thank you for brightening her day!"

- Jayme

"You really brightened my son's day. I can't thank you enough!"

- Candace

This is my Daughter Ellie, (age 5), ... at York hospital. Thank you for the kind gift. Please thank (volunteer) Andrew for the sweet card. He asked about sports she said she would be his cheerleader! I love your cause keep up the great work! Thank you!

- Ellie's Family

Had to take my 3 yr old to the hospital for some stitches in her knee after a fall and was greeted with a Coping Kit from Caitlin’s Smiles. She loved having a distraction while we waited. Thank you so much.

- Farrah

Hello, I wanted to send these photos of my daughter, Riot, enjoying the activities you helped provide. She was so excited to have something to do while we waited for answers. It's an absolutely lovely idea and helped ease her mind and boredom. Thank you so much! Jenna & Riot

- Jenna & Riot

Thank You!

- Taemas

To All Volunteers Thank you very much for the gift package given to my granddaughterat Jamaica Hospital in New York. It made her smile and she loves drawing so all the gifts were very thoughtful and kind. Thank you very much. Have a wonderful day.

- Nancy

Thank you so much for everything, she loved it! She received her bag at Lehigh Valley Hospital.

- Katherine

"Thank you very much! We love this idea for kids in the hospital." #SendingSmiles to Charley and all the kids at Reading (PA) Hospital #WithYourHelp

- Shelley

Thank you for the wonderful crafts! They have made Ellie’s stay at the hospital so much better😊

- Sandy

We are in the UPMC hospital of Altoona with my daughter after she got hurt and she absolutely loves the kit you have provided and she is feeling great.

- Clayton

Chasen wanted to thank you so much for the bag!

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"This was a day brightener for my daughter Taylor when she was in the hospital- God bless your efforts!"

- Tom

Langdon sends his thank you to everyone who helps to send smiles to kids like him!

- Mom

My son loves this special gift.

- Stefani

Thank you, my little boy loves it!

- Gloria

Thank you so much for the bag of smiles! My daughter was so excited to receive this with much of her favorite things inside!

- Devyn

My son was lucky enough to receive one of your care packages from St. Lukes Bethlehem today. We want to pay it forward so other kids get this same positive blessing! Thank you.

- Beth

The foam stickers are a hit!

- Erin

Thank you for the bag. It really made her day!

- Erin

Thank you for the crafts. We received them from Ronald McDonald House of Central Ohio while here for treatment in Columbus, Ohio. The turtle was my son's favorite. Nice distraction while in the hospital.

- Jody

Thanks for the bag!

- Kaden

On behalf of our hospitalized children and their families, thank you so much for your thoughtful contribution which provides medicine for their spirit. Child Life interventions facilitate coping and adjustment, reduce fear and anxiety, teach coping skils through developmental education, diversion, surgical support, medical tests and procedures with medical play and pediatric vocatulary. Thank you so much for the activity bags. Our toddlers loved them so much and we enjoyed doing them with them! We are so appreciated of the goodies!

- Child Life

Thank you for your donation of craft kits to Ronald McDonald House Charities Dayton. We appreciate your thoughtfulness and your support of our mission to provide community, comfort, and hope to families with seriously ill children. Wishlist donations enable RMHC Dayton to make a difference in the lives of thoursands of families each year and the demand for our services continues to grow. When they need it the most, families have a home-away-from-home when they are faced with critically ill, hospitalized babies and children. We know you have many options for your philandthropic giving. Thank you again for choosing to suppor the families served by RMHC Dayton.

- Rita

I just wanted to say thank you for the Caitlin's Smiles goody bags. I was in the ER yesterday with my 4 yo son, and my daughters (age 7 and 3) had to come along too. everything ended up fine, but we chose a very busy time to go to the ER< waiting hours. Your goody bags were a godsend to keep the kids entertained and happy. I looked up the story and was so touched. I'm sorry it ended the way it did for Caitlin but I love the story that was created from your experience, and seeing my 3 kids' smiles from the play dough and stickers and "my journal" made me imagine the hundreds and thousands of other smiles that came from this. thank you for sharing.

- Daria

Many thanks for the kit my daughter Ximena got at Shriners Hospital in Philadelphia.

- Brenda

Thank you SO much from Malka! (She received a Bag of Smiles while staying at Monmouth Medical Center Long Branch NJ)

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A polite young lady called our office today about her recent experience in the hospital. She explained that she received a Bag of Smiles after her surgery while at Harlem Hospital in New York City. She said it meant a lot to her and that her favorite items were the art kits and the book.

- Karen

Thank you from Alex!

- Rebecca

I would like to THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. I had to pick up my 2 yr old Grandson from the babysitters due to running a high fever and take him to Urgent Care. They ran test on him and immediately told us ... that I needed to take him to the ER IMMEDIATELY. I left from there and took him to the ER with just he and I. I had absolutely nothing else I needed. They admitted him ... they had to start an IV to administer antibiotics. With this being said, this very hyperactive Autistic 2yr has to remain in his bed due to having an IV on a pump!! After the 1st night the nurse brought him in a little care package and he had a blast with all of the activities that were in there. The play dough was a Huge Hit. We made French fries and ate them, made flowers and picked them and all kinds of things for about 3 hours!! So thank you from the bottom of my heart for making our stay so much easier!! I am planning on taking this to our church ladies group and spread the word and maybe we can do things like this to make someone's day. May God add his blessings on you, and I will never forget what you have done for my sweet boy!! Thanks Again and God Bless!!

- Sherry

Thank you so much for the bag is smiles!! Your thoughtful act of kindness really did put a smile on my daughter's face. May God bless you tenfold!

- Kimberly

Thanks so much!! (At Shriners Hospital in Philadelphia)

- Brooke

My daughter, Mila, was hospitalized this past week. I wanted to take a moment to thank you so much for the bag of arts and crafts supplies that was given to us during her stay. My daughter's spirits were quite down and she desperately wanted to go home. We were feeling trapped inside the hospital room and the only thing I had to occupy her was an iPad, which she quickly lost interest in. When a woman came in and asked me what my daughter's interests were, I was thrilled when she told me she had some coloring materials for her. When I thought she was coming back with a coloring page and crayons, she gave us the most amazing bag filled with so many different arts and crafts. It was the highlight of my daughter's time at the hospital and brought the biggest smile to both of our faces. I felt such a sense of relief knowing she had an activity that she loved to do, just like Caitlin did, to keep her busy and bring her joy. Thank you ... so very much for the kind gesture and for organizing such an incredible foundation in honor of someone who sounded pretty amazing. We will never forget the bag of goodies she received and the joy it brought us.

- Alexandra

My son was so happy to have gotten this bag. My son's name is Jake and he is 7 years old. He wants to send a big THANK YOU! It made his day . Once again thank you for the Bag of Smiles.

- Leonela

We just wanted to say thank you so much for your thoughtfulness. My son was very anxious about his sedated test and this helped calm him down.

- Danielle

Here’s my Caitlin’s smiles while having fun with your Caitlin’s Smiles kit!

- Colleen

We used your turtle weaving kit from Shriners Hospital in Philadelphia today. Came out pretty nice! Thank you kindly!

- Scott

We have just received your coping kits and are completely in love! We are so excited to use these for our patients to provide support, coping, and being able to easily establish rapport. Thank you for all you do!

- Jordana, Staten Island University Hospital

She says, "Thank you for the gifts!"

- Shakeila

It was the first time being admitted to the hospital for this young fellow. He says, "Thank you!" Caitlin's Smiles provides activities to help kids cope and have a little bit of normalcy while dealing with stressful medical situations.

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My young child is in the ER right now and received one of your bags. Thank you so much, they are so sweet and thoughtful. They helped her take her medicine and stay calm and happy. She squeezed the playdoh when she was getting medicine, watched me color as we waited, and is playing with the stickers and bookmark now. Thank you so much,

- Amanda

Thank you so much for your work. My son immediately coloured in his book and the dinosaur hasn’t left his side. We came in after fighting a stomach virus for 4 days and not being able to stay hydrated. He was very sad and wouldn’t smile. When our nurse came in with the bag of toys and stickers, he immediately lit up. Thank you so much!

- Nicole

Thank you SO MUCH for the gift bag. My son receives infusions every 12 weeks and He was so excited when he was given this upon arrival. Bless you!!

- Alysia

My son James is in the hospital with influenza A. Your gift bag made his day! He especially loved the necklace and bookmark crafts. Thank you so much for what you do. It’s truly amazing.

- Bethany

Thanks for your gifts and the 'Roll a Monster' game as he awaits surgery for his broken arm!

- Nicholas

Thank you!

- Judi

Our daughter, Lyla, was a recipient of one of your art/toys kits while she was at Cleveland Clinic for her scans. She was so excited and hasn’t stopped playing with the items in that bag since she got it!

- Mark

Thank you for the sweet bag. My daughter was very scared and sad and your bag made her feel better!

- Chelle

Yailiz and I have decided to volunteer at Caitlin’s Smiles after receiving a bag of art goodies while in the ER waiting to be seen. It was not ideal to have to visit the ER, yet the gift brought smiles to our faces! We were both surprised and after learning more about Caitlin’s Smiles decided to become part of the cause. Yailiz loves art and is very good at it. She also loves helping people. We are honored to help contribute to smiling faces.

- Marie

This is a wonderful bag of goodies! Trey was very excited about the Star Wars stickers! Thank you very much for your kindness.

- Marc

Thank you for the bag of Smiles! Hannah loves Everything!!

- Ashley

I took my daughter to ER today, they gave her a Smile Bag, she was so happy, thank you so much for this wonderful thing you are doing.

- Carolina

Our son recently was in critical care. He received a playdoh toy and Bag of Smiles with art activities from your organization that made his stay fun and gave him comfort. Thank you so much for providing him with this activity bag.

- Julie

Thank you so much for the wonderful gift bag that you made for Hillcrest Hospital (Cleveland). My son was there last weekend with the stomach flu and it really cheered him up. We are still enjoying the crafts even at home! That was so nice and thoughtful of you!!!

- Amy

Thank you for your gift bag! My daughter enjoyed it.

- Kelly

Hope these supplies help your amazing organization! We learned about you recently when my friend's daughter was admitted to Johns Hopkins for cancer treatment. She is so appreciative of the crafts to keep spirits up!

- Jessica

Sending Smiles to hospitalized kids like this little guy.

- Myra

Thank you so much for the amazing and wonderful gifts!!! She can’t wait to do the hemp keychain and the personal note was beautiful. Destiny had surgery yesterday. She is in the pediatric unit at Wellspan York Hospital. Thank you for everything that you do. Such a wonderful surprise and gift :)

- Amanda

Thank you!

- Lex

Thank you so much for the gift bag. Yailiz was very surprised and happy to have received the goodies. She loves to create art! Just wanted to send a pic and say thank you for putting a smile on her face!

- Yaitza

Hi, we're staying at the RMH and found one of your craft kits. I wanted to say THANK YOU! 😊 It sure brightened her day. I appreciate what you do! Best regards,

- Renee and Addie

Thank you so much for making her smile.

- Sherrie

It was wonderful to have your kit to distract and cheer her up. Hello! I want to thank you for the emergency room necklace kit you put together for Children’s National Hospital in Washington DC. We unexpectedly found ourselves there when my two-year-old got sick last weekend. She had to get so many needle pricks while she was there. It was wonderful to have your kit to distract and cheer her up. Thank you for your compassionate service to my daughter and our family! God Bless!

- Meg and Luci

That care package totally made our night so much easier. My name is Maxine and I just had to take my son to (St. Luke's) Miners Campus er for an infection, not a fun time but what did make it so much easier was that care package totally made our night so much easier. Its people like you who make the world special. Keep up the amazing work. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts ♥️

- Maxine

Ella & Eve, stopped by Smiles Central to pick up some Bags of Smiles. These adorable twins, Ella & Eve, stopped by Smiles Central to pick up some Bags of Smiles to keep them busy at ongoing appointments at CHOP and Wills Eye Institute, and during their isolation period at home. These cuties can’t risk getting colds, flus or Covid during their treatment.

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Thank you so much! He is not feeling good for a picture but does love his teddy bear.

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Thank you so much for the crafts! Liliana loved them while inpatient at Albany Med!

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Our daughter, Natalie, was so happy to receive a gift during her stay in the peds unit! It was great to have something to make her feel at home. We want to pass that gift to other families and provide them some comfort during their time of need.

- Jamie

I just wanted to say thank you for creating these wonderful Coping Kits. I just wanted to say thank you for creating these wonderful Coping Kits. My daughter (Toni-Elizabeth, 3 years old) was recently in the hospital two separate times, and each time the nurse gave her one of your kits. It really really brightened her time there in the midst of not feeling well. She enjoyed playing with the playdoh, coloring, and especially loved all of the wonderful stickers. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Stay safe and be well,

- Wendy

My daughter got her first covid vaccine yesterday at a Geisinger facility in Danville. After she was done, she was told that she could pick a prize from their prize box. When we were in the waiting area, she was so happy when she pulled out all the wonderful things from your organization. She especially LOVED the handwritten card that said "You are a star!" How fitting for her. She was very upset and anxious to get her vaccine. The smile on her face after reading that really made her day. I simply wanted to thank you for the goody bags that were sent to the vaccine clinic. They certainly put a SMILE on all the children's faces. I hope you have a great week!

- Angie

Thank you for the thoughtful gift! Our son has been in the ER since Sunday night. EJ is two years old and he loves to color. Thank you again!

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She loves crafting and your kits brightened her day! Hello! My daughter had surgery at Cincinnati Children’s over Thanksgiving, and we stayed at the Ronald McDonald house (we live in NC). We found some of your crafts there and wanted to share. Thank you SO much! She loves crafting and your kits brightened her day! Thank you!

- Tiffany