10 Years of Impact
Our Support and Outreach Services
Hygienic Play Centers
Specially designed for children aged 2 to 7 who are undergoing cancer treatment and cannot attend school due to suppressed immune systems.
These centers provide a safe and hygienic environment where children can socialize and play with their peers.
734 registered children and 4 centers operated in 10 years across Türkiye.
Hospital Workshops
In cooperation with 25 partner hospitals, we provide workshops and psychosocial support services twice a week for children undergoing long-term treatment.
Free transportation service is provided for families who wish to bring their children to the Hygienic Play Centers, with the support of Lions International.
Free Home Blood collection service
Supported by Biruni Laboratory, free home blood collection and analysis services were offered to children receiving cancer treatment throughout the pandemic period.
Build Together Smile Together Project
Supported by the European Union, we carried out the “Build Together, Smile Together” Project, which lasted one year.
Within the scope of the project, we collaborated with 100 volunteer pharmacies across Türkiye to sell “smiling bracelets” in support of children undergoing cancer treatment.
Through these pharmacies, we also distributed brochures with QR codes to inform families about our Hygienic Play Centers and other support services.
As a result, we reached more than 3,000 families nationwide.
After the devastating earthquake that struck Türkiye on February 6, 2023, affecting 10 provinces, we began providing support to the earthquake-affected regions. As part of these efforts, we set up Play Tents in 3 provinces, and our Play Heals Truck provided psychosocial support across 10 provinces for 6 months.
The 100th Year Village Project, the first and largest civil initiative launched in Türkiye after the earthquake, was carried out through the collaboration of four partners: the Laughter Heals Association, the Gendarmerie Foundation, Mustafa Kemal University, and Blocks for Hopes Volunteers.
The project, which provided nearly 200 permanent homes for earthquake survivors, has already brought life back to the area, and the final phase is set to open in November 2025.
A Trace for Tomorrow” Project – sponsored by Danone Türkiye (budget: €200K)
- Implemented in collaboration with Hatay – Türkiye Mustafa Kemal University.
- Provided medical equipment support to the university’s hospital.
- Established two playrooms within the hospital for children.
- Delivered vocational training and mentorship to 20 young earthquake survivors.
- Danone Türkiye also became the Sustainability Sponsor of both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the 100th Year Village Project.
Awareness Activities and Resource Mobilisation
- The “Six Steps of Giving Bad News” protocol social media campaign, supported by Bristol Myers Squibb, reached nearly one million people.
In collaboration with the Psycho-Oncology Association, training sessions were delivered to specialists in two hospitals.
The aim was to reduce the trauma experienced by patients when receiving diagnoses such as cancer.
- Our #LaughterHealsCancer psycho-oncology awareness campaign, featuring content prepared with leading expert Prof. Dr. Sedat Özkan, reached 1 million people and 20,000 healthcare professionals across the country.
- Charity Runs: 3228 volunteer runners raised around 200K GBP from more than 30.000 donors, in 15 marathons for various LHA Projects such as Hygienic Play Centers for kids going through cancer, Permanent Housing Support Project for Earthquake Survivors Employment Project for Earthquake Survivors
- Through the EU-funded “Parent Mentoring Project”, 50 volunteer mentors — all parents whose children had previously undergone cancer treatment — provided one-year mentorship to 50 newly diagnosed parents after receiving comprehensive training.
Pediatric Cancer Awareness “Gloves” Project:
We shared with the public the touching reality that children who stay in hospitals for long periods and have weakened immune systems cannot have regular toys in their rooms — so they make balloon figures out of medical examination gloves to play with.
Inspired by this powerful image, we emphasized that these children, too, need opportunities for play and social connection in hygienic and safe environments.
TV Copy- Aired 3 months on tv reached 20 million people 3+
My Smiling Glove Activity Kit
The My Smiling Glove Activity Kit was created to support our Hygienic Play Centers.
Each kit includes an awareness brochure and materials that allow users to make fun toys out of medical gloves.
Through our e-commerce platform, 10,000 kits were sold — spreading both joy and awareness! 💛
My Laughing Glove Storybook Project
In this project, which was open to secondary and high school students, we organised story-writing workshops where participants learned the art of storytelling, created their own characters and wrote their own tales.
The resulting storybook was distributed to 500 children receiving treatment in hospitals.
Activities with Corporate Companies
On World Smile Day, Pfizer Türkiye shared posts using a Smiling Instagram filter.
Each post turned into a gifted activity set for 130 children receiving cancer treatment in seven hospitals, helping them enjoy their time during hospital stays.
Smiling Masks Project: In collaboration with Nobel Pharmaceuticals, we created fun AR mask filters on Instagram.
Users highlighted the importance of mask use at the beginning of pandemic and helped send gifts to 150 hospitalised children receiving cancer treatment.
Let your Heart Smile Project:
Supported by Queisser Pharma, our project raised awareness on social media about the importance of Omega-3 supplementation and provided Omega-3 vitamins to 2,000 hospitalised children receiving treatment.
Keep Smiling Project: For five years, together with Colgate and Watsons, we ran the “Keep Smiling” social responsibility project.
Throughout October, Smiling Bracelets were gifted with Colgate purchases at Watsons stores, and the proceeds covered five years of rent for our Hygienic Play Centre, which provides free services for children with cancer.
Various Fundraising & Communication Events like concerts, fashion shows with celebrity support and Team Building Activities with more than 100 companies’ sponsorship
Happy Tales Project
Our volunteers record psychologist-approved fairy tales and load them onto MP3 players. These are then gifted to children who are receiving inpatient treatment in hospitals due to serious illnesses.
Over the past 10 years, around 8000 children have received an MP3 player filled with magical stories — a small sound of hope that brings big smiles 💛
Supported by Liv Hospital, our “Life Should Not Be Put On Hold” project offered free thyroid and breast screenings to hundreds of people in 2023,and raised funds through clothing sales at the Beauty & Wellness Fest, followed by a photo exhibition with celebrities the for awareness.
