Smiley Sophia: A Legacy of Giving That Lives On

Sophia was a fighter from the very beginning. Born eight weeks premature after an emergency C-section, her heart stopped at birth. But she wasn’t ready to leave the world just yet.

“She was such a fighter,” her mom, Jo, recalled. “We always said God was like, ‘Okay, you can have her for a little while.’ And we were so grateful for that time.”

That strength would define Sophia’s life.

As a high school senior, Sophia began experiencing persistent pain in her leg. The pain went undiagnosed for nearly a year until her family finally got answers at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. The diagnosis was devastating: Ewing sarcoma that had already spread.

Even then, Sophia didn’t let cancer define her. “She just kept going,” said Curtis, Sophia’s dad. “She stayed in school, kept her grades up, was inducted into National Honor Society, walked with her class for graduation. Most kids would have stepped back but not Sophia.”

Through months of intensive treatment that included chemotherapy, radiation and long hospital stays, Sophia remained focused not on herself but on others. “She never asked for anything,” said Jo and Curtis. “Even as a little girl, we taught her to pay it forward and she just lived that every day.”

That spirit became part of who she was at the hospital.

Sophia was known for her bright smile, her growing Squishmallow collection and one very specific tradition. “She became the ‘chocolate pusher,’” said Jo. “She’d bring chocolate for everyone at the hospital, nurses, staff, anyone who walked by. It started because chemo tasted awful and she needed chocolate after. But then it became her thing. ‘Come on, take some chocolate!’”

Even during treatment, Sophia was paying attention not to her own discomfort but to others.

 “She noticed everything. She saw the little kids and would say, ‘It’s not fair. I’m older. I understand what’s happening. But they don’t.’ She always worried about everyone else,” said Curtis.

So when Make-A-Wish selected Sophia for a wish, she made a decision that surprised no one who knew her. “I said, ‘Let’s get you a wish,’” said her mom. “And she looked at me and said, ‘I want to do something for the hospital.’ I knew right then that’s exactly what she wanted.”

After talking with her care team, Sophia landed on something simple but meaningful: new infusion chairs for patients. “She had been to the new Outpatient Center in Schaumburg and said, ‘These chairs are amazing.’  And then she looked at the ones here and thought this could be better for other kids.

What started as one chair quickly grew into four, thanks to Sophia’s determination, Make-A-Wish and the generosity of those inspired by her story.

“She was so happy,” said Jo and Curtis. “She wasn’t doing it for recognition. She just wanted other patients to be more comfortable.”

Even as her condition worsened, Sophia continued to give. When she received additional funds through an end-of-life program, she didn’t hesitate. “She looked at me and said, ‘What am I going to buy?’ And then she said, ‘Can I donate it back?’ That was Sophia. Always thinking of others,” said Jo.

In October 2025, after a long and courageous fight, Sophia passed away at the hospital surrounded by her family and the care team who had become part of it. 

But her presence is still deeply felt. This past March, the special infusion chairs Sophia “wished” for were delivered to the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Lurie Children’s.

Through a special visit coordinated with Make-A-Wish and Sophia’s care team, her family was able to come dedicate the chairs and pay tribute to Sophia. “When we went back and saw the chairs, we were speechless,” Jo and Curtis said. “Everyone was there. There were tears but also laughter. And we just kept thinking, ‘Sophia, you did this.’” Today, those chairs are used by patients every day serving as a lasting reminder of a young woman who chose to give, even in the hardest moments.

Sophia was lovingly known as “Smiley” by her care team, a reflection of the joy she carried with her, even through unimaginable challenges. “She always had a smile on her face and would always take the time to ask, ‘How is your day going?’ She was one of the sweetest, kindest, bravest humans that I have ever met. I was so lucky to be her primary nurse and share her beauty. I think about her all the time and she will always hold a special place in my heart. I hope to be a better person because she showed me that giving is always better than receiving,” said Cindy Savoy, RN, Inpatient 17. “Her family is amazing and they raised a wonderful, brave, kind daughter. I am lucky to have been part of her team.”

“She just had the biggest heart. She never worried about herself. It was always, ‘How can I help someone else?’,” said her mom. 

Her legacy lives on in the comfort she created, the lives she touched and the example she set. And as her parents say, “She’s still taking care of people just in a different way now.”