Brady's Smile

On March 16, 2006, Brady Blaine Hinton was born at St. Vincent’s hospital in Bridgeport, CT. He passed away two years later on March 16, 2008, his 2nd birthday. In between those dates, Brady endured a life complicated by intricate medical conditions. Through everything his little body endured, he never stopped smiling.

Today, Brady's parents cope with the loss of their son by helping other parents whose children are in the hospital and suffering, as Brady was, to keep a positive attitude just as Brady did. To that end, they have created, "Brady's Smile," with just one goal: to become the largest children's based charitable institution in the world.

Starting tomorrow, August 7th, Brady's Smile will officially begin, "Doing Big Things For Little Ones in Need."

Brady’s Smile Comfort Bags

Brady's Smile is currently committed to providing approximately 70-100 bags a month to the patients and families at YNHCH on an ongoing basis (split between NBSCU and PICU). Although this program requires a huge amount of dedication and support, we are confident that it will help achieve our goal of making life easier in the ICU!

Brady Blankets

This wonderful program will provide homemade fleece blankets to babies and children in the NBSCU and PICU. Fleece blankets help provide a “secure” feeling to babies, especially premature babies, and are very soft and snuggly. It is Brady's Smile's goal to provide blankets to all babies in both units as well as children who are coming out of surgery. Each blanket will be tied with a Brady’s Smile ribbon and will go home with the child upon discharge.

Music in the ICU (“MICU”)

In the ICU environment, there are constant beeping sounds from machines, as well as doctors and nurses entering and leaving the ICU at all hours and attending to other children. As you may imagine, this can result in an unsettling environment for both patient and caregiver alike.

It is Brady’s Smile's goal to provide crib-side CD players and CDs to all cribs in the NBSCU (there are more than 50 cribs in the unit), as well as to provide a combination of both crib-side CD players and regular CD players to all cribs/beds in the PICU (approximately 19 in the unit).

Says co-founder Angie Hinton,"“We hope everyone feels as passionate about these programs as we do. We set out to touch children’s lives, and we are so honored and touched to provide these programs to the children at YNHCH.”

If you would like to read more about what the Hintons are doig, or would like to make a donation, you can find Brady's Smile here.