The Sean Rovers and Kaylee Kruise Smiles Fund was officially established on August 22, 2023. The fund is at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation and the distribution is under the discretion of the social work department of the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
The Sean Rovers and Kaylee Kruise Smiles Fund is the Smiles From Sean project at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. This is also a joint endeavor with Kaylee’s mom Melissa to keep Kaylee’s memory alive.
Kaylee and Sean were both pediatric brain cancer patients who met while going through radiation treatment at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in the summer of 2018. Coincidentally the two children shared the same birthdate. Since that day, Sean and Kaylee’s family have been friends.
While Sean is currently deemed a pediatric brain cancer survivor, Kaylee on the other hand was taken from us by cancer on February 12, 2021, less than 3 years after her diagnosis.
After Kaylee’s passing Sean’s mom reached out to Kaylee’s mom to help keep Kaylee’s memory alive by including her in the Smiles From Sean annual project at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh – the place where the two cancer warriors first met.
The conversation between the two moms led to the creation of the Sean Rovers and Kaylee Kruise Smiles Fund at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. The goal of the fund is to help families with incidental expenses while seeking medical care for their child in the hospital.
Our Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh fund will need ongoing support all year round.
There are various ways you can support this fund:
- Send your donation directly to:
Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation
One Children’s Hospital Drive
4401 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
Memo: Sean Rovers and Kaylee Kruise Smiles Fund - Participate in our annual coin drive in May
- Or donate directly to the fundraising link below.
Smiles From Sean’s fundraising link for Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh