Ninth Grader Drafts Celtics' Marcus Smart to Benefit Tufts Floating Hospital

On September 6, Shore ninth grader Ava D'Ambrosio and her father, Gerry, appeared with Celtics guard Marcus Smart at a special event at Tufts Medical Center's Floating Hospital for Children. Smart was there at the D'Ambrosios' invitation, to unveil the second-ever "Smart Center," a technology-filled, kid-friendly mobile cart which will move between Tufts pediatric inpatient units and outpatient clinics to provide patients and their families access to technology and other resources as a means for relaxation, communication, and therapy during their hospital stays. 

"It’s important for kids and their families to have outlets like these, especially in a hospital," said Smart at the unveiling. "I am looking forward to making Smart Centers available in more Boston area facilities." Tufts' Smart Center was sponsored by D'Ambrosio Brown LLP.

Earlier this year, when Ava D'Ambrosio had first heard about the work of Smart's YounGameChanger Foundation, a nonprofit the Celtics player created to motivate young, inner-city kids and benefit families of seriously and chronically sick children, she immediately knew one of the foundation's Smart Centers could make a big difference for the patients she had met at the Floating Hospital for Children. Ava had years of experience at Tufts, first as a young patient herself, and later as a volunteer and advocate for others.

When she was in third and fourth grades, Ava had been hospitalized at Tufts for long stretches before successfully completing treatment for a rare blood disorder. While there, she discovered that despite the incredible care she had received from Tufts' doctors, nurses, and the staff of the Child Life Services Program—which provides families of sick children with support that ranges from tutoring to family activities and play groups—life in the hospital could still be stressful, scary, and monotonous.

Hence, the appeal of the Smart Center, a virtual candy store of technology, including iPads and laptops, to enable kids and families to enjoy games, explore educational software, and even communicate with far-off friends and relatives while receiving hospital care. Ava had already made the decision, once she was healthy again, to give back to Tufts through volunteering and collecting supplies for their unique "bibliotherapy" program for pediatric hematology/oncology patients—which promotes stress relief and personal expression through writing—but she knew that bringing a Smart Center to the kids and families she worked with would be, quite literally, a game-changer.

So she asked her father, Gerry D'Ambrosio, who had a connection to Smart's organization, to make a call, and in September, the D'Ambrosios appeared with Smart and hospital representatives before an audience of children, families, and staff.

Ava, a featured speaker alongside Smart, shared her reflections on her time in the hospital with those at the event. "I know from experience that there can be a lot of downtime for some of you," she said, "and that can make you even more nervous and scared than you already are. But the great thing about a wonderful center like this is that it can help you take your mind off things—not just for the patients, but for the families, too. So thank you, Marcus and your Foundation."

Making the connection between Smart's Foundation and Tufts isn't the first time Ava's interest in helping hospitalized children has paid dividends. In 2014, she was the spokesperson for the Fenway Park launch of Cumberland Farms' "Cups for Kids" Campaign, which donates a portion of summer drink sales to hospitals around the Northeast, including Tufts Floating Hospital.

Nor is Ava the first D'Ambrosio to find ways to benefit worthy causes. As a sophomore at Yale, her oldest brother, Anthony, a Shore graduate of the Class of 2011, was selected as one of two co-coordinators of Yale's Dwight Hall, the umbrella organization for more than 90 student-run member groups that engage 3,500 students each year in service and social justice activities. The same year, he received a Newman Civic Fellow Award, which honors inspiring student leaders. Meanwhile, Andrew D'Ambrosio, a 2015 Shore ninth grade graduate, with his older brother Anthony manages a nonprofit organization called American Sign Language (ASL) Sports, which hosts organized clinics and athletic events for children with physical, cognitive, and auditory disabilities.

"Andrew is the reason I'm staying at Shore for ninth grade," Ava says now. "He had a great experience, and I'm really look forward to the Mississippi trip with Partners in Development to work with kids and build houses for families in need." The youngest D'Ambrosio sibling looks set to continue her involvement with those who need help after she graduates Shore, as well. "I want to become a doctor—hematology in particular," she states with assurance. The discipline is the study of the cause, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases related to the blood, such as the disorder she suffered from as a child. To prepare for the demanding field, Ava says she plans to load up on science work in high school; she's already digging into advanced topics in biology in Shore's ninth grade science track.

But in the midst of all her serious school work and continued volunteering for the Floating Hospital for Children—she'll hold another drive for writing supplies this fall to support its bibliotherapy program—Ava still finds time to follow the advice she gives to children and families coping with illness: sometimes, taking your mind off things can be the best therapy. Known for her scene-stealing comedic performances in numerous Shore plays and musicals, Ava relishes performing in the school's theater program. "When I’m acting on stage," she says, "I’m able to push everything else aside and be in the scene. I can just pretend I'm the character, and nothing worries me at all."