About Joseph's Smile
From Heartbreak to Hope
Joseph’s Smile was founded in August 2022 in loving memory of three-year-old Joseph Yeandle, who passed away from neuroblastoma in 2021. Born from personal experience and shaped by the profound loss of our boy, our charity exists to support families facing the unimaginable. Our mission is simple yet powerful: to give families the time, hope, and help they need when their child is diagnosed with cancer.
Joseph was only three when he died after a nine month battle with neuroblastoma. Diagnosed in April 2021, he tragically passed away that December, just 2 days after Christmas. Throughout everything, his strength and courage were extraordinary. No matter how tough the days became, Joseph kept smiling - his big, beautiful smile that carried our family through their darkest moments.
Alongside the shock of his diagnosis and the intensity of NHS treatment, we faced the overwhelming challenge of raising £300,000 for a pioneering cancer vaccine trial in New York - treatment unavailable on the NHS. This Bivalent Cancer Vaccine offered hope of preventing Joseph’s cancer from returning. Heartbreakingly, he relapsed before he could access it, and we had to face the unimaginable loss of our little boy.
Fundraising stole precious time that should have been spent together. The pressure of trying to save your child and having to fundraise to do so is truly horrendous. Even knowing the outcome now, we would have fundraised all over again - because that treatment represented hope. Hope that he would survive and get better. Our only regret is the time it cost us with Joseph, time we can never get back.
The pain of losing precious time to fundraising became the driving force behind Joseph’s Smile. No family should have to fight for treatment while already fighting for their child’s life.
In Joseph’s legacy, we created Joseph’s Smile to ensure no other family carries the same burden. Our aim is to lift the weight of fundraising so families can focus on what truly matters: being together. We support families in four key areas:
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Raising essential funds and providing specialist guidance in fundraising campaigns,
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Supplying Wiggly Vests to keep Hickman lines safe,
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Advancing childhood cancer awareness and research,
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Running our national bereavement initiative, Bells for Heaven.
Every programme we deliver is rooted in lived experience. We understand the fear, urgency, and overwhelming pressure families face. That understanding shapes everything we do - from our Support Fund for Families to our national awareness work. In 2025, we launched Kids Get Cancer Too, a collaborative campaign supported by 13 national charities and over 50 businesses, created to make childhood cancer impossible to ignore.
In a short time, Joseph’s Smile has raised £695,000, provided £200,000 in direct financial support to families, donated £225,000 to childhood cancer research, distributed 1,250 Wiggly Vests across the UK, and supported more than 100 bereaved families. Our work is powered by 65 dedicated volunteers, 10 committed trustees, and 15 high profile and dedicated patrons who champion our cause.
We are also proud to host major fundraising events that bring communities together, spark joy, and create treasured memories - from celebrity football matches (just like this one!!) to arena concerts. Each event amplifies awareness and strengthens our mission so that we can continue to give families the time, hope, and help they need – when they need it most.
