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Bringing comfort and joy to sick children

At Joy for Little Lives, we believe that every child deserves to feel comforted, supported, empowered, and surrounded by moments of joy, especially in the face of illness or injury.
Joy for Little Lives is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by Katie-Beth Jinier, a high school student whose own experience receiving care from Child Life Specialists inspired her to help bring comfort, hope, and joy to other children facing medical experiences.
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Our nonprofit was created to support children in hospitals and healthcare facilities by providing essential resources to Child Life Specialists, dedicated professionals who work tirelessly to help children cope with fear, stress, and uncertainty during medical care.
When a child enters a hospital, they are often faced with unfamiliar environments, procedures, and emotions. Child Life Specialists help make these experiences less overwhelming by using play, preparation, and emotional support to help children understand what is happening and feel more in control.
Through our work, we provide much-needed toys, monetary funding, therapeutic materials, and tools that these specialists can use directly with children. These resources help make difficult times easier, offering comfort, distraction, hope, joy, and a sense of normalcy when children need it most.
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Whether it’s a toy that brings a smile before a procedure, a calming tool that eases anxiety during treatment, or a simple moment of joy and connection, these small moments can make a lasting difference.

We hope to go beyond providing materials. We aim to raise awareness about the importance of child life services and the meaningful difference they make in the lives of children and their families.

We are also working to support child life internships and help fund Child Life Specialist positions so that more children have access to this critical care and support.
By ensuring that Child Life Specialists have the resources they need, we are helping to create a more compassionate, less frightening, and more healing experience for children going through medical care.
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Our Board

Katie-Beth Jinier, Founder/President

Katie-Beth is a 15-year-old high school sophomore and the founder of Joy for Little Lives. After being diagnosed with Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis at 9 years old, she experienced firsthand how Child Life Specialists can bring comfort, support, and joy during medical care. She created Joy for Little Lives to help other children feel less afraid and more supported during their own medical journeys.

Nicole Jinier, VP

Nicole is Katie-Beth’s mom and saw firsthand the comfort and support Child Life Specialists provided during Katie-Beth’s medical care. Her experience as a parent showed her how important this support is, not only for children, but for the families walking through those difficult moments with them.

Matthew Jinier, Secretary/Treasurer

Matt is Katie-Beth’s dad and is honored to support Joy for Little Lives as it works to bring comfort and encouragement to children during medical care. He believes deeply in Katie-Beth’s mission and is proud to help strengthen the organization’s ability to support children, families, and Child Life programs.

Montana Green, Board Member

Montana is the mom of 10-year-old Silas, who was born with a congenital heart defect and spent many days in the hospital recovering from multiple open-heart surgeries and procedures. Through those difficult experiences, Child Life Specialists helped ease Silas’s discomfort and served as an important source of support for their family.

Aaron White, Board Member

Aaron is Katie-Beth’s godfather and has been a lifelong source of support for her. As someone who has personally faced autoimmune health challenges, he understands how important comfort, encouragement, and support can be during a medical crisis. He is passionate about helping children facing medical issues receive that same kind of care and support when they need it most.

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Mission Statement:

At Joy for Little Lives, we raise awareness of the vital role child life specialists play and provide them with the tools and resources they need to bring comfort, hope, and moments of joy to children receiving medical care. Together, we help transform fear into courage and hardship into healing. We envision a world where every child feels safe, supported, and joyful, no matter what they face — and where every child life specialist has what they need to make that possible.
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