Long before reaching the NBA, Marcus Smart spent formative hours in hospital waiting rooms and corridors, watching his older brother, Todd Westbrook, fight leukemia. Westbrook ultimately died from the disease in January 2004, when Smart was just nine years old. Years later, after losing his mother, Camellia, to bone marrow cancer in September 2018, Smart channeled his grief into a dedicated philanthropic mission aimed at easing the burdens carried by young patients and their families during extended medical treatments.
Following his selection by the Boston Celtics sixth overall in the 2014 NBA Draft following a college career at Oklahoma State, Smart began visiting pediatric patients at Boston Children’s Hospital. Rather than treating the appearances as publicity opportunities, he focused on individual connections. A 2002 reporting account noted an instance where a young patient battling hair loss from chemotherapy gifted Smart a bracelet and pink hair extensions. Smart wore the items and later invited her to a community hero gala. Following his mother’s death, he also hosted a private dinner for families staying in accommodations near the hospital.
Reflecting on his childhood in a December 2025 interview, Smart noted the heavy emotional toll of facing severe illness at an early age. He explained that he lost his brother, family members, and friends while dealing with environments and sights children should not normally witness. That background shaped his understanding that hospitalized children still desire ordinary experiences, social connection, and play despite the physical toll of treatment.
Those hospital visits eventually revealed a practical logistical hurdle: young patients confined to rooms for weeks or months often faced severe isolation and boredom, while medical facilities struggled to efficiently store, charge, and distribute portable electronics. In response, Smart established the YounGameChanger Foundation and launched the Smart Carts initiative. These mobile units transport tablets, gaming consoles, and communication devices directly to patient rooms, providing access to education, entertainment, and digital connections.
The initiative expanded through partnerships with major corporate donors, including Lenovo and Walmart, which supplied hardware for the units. According to a December 2025 report, the program successfully delivered 30 mobile carts across at least 16 hospitals. The equipment does not provide medical treatment, but it offers psychological relief and communication tools. Facilities have utilized the hardware to facilitate video calls for families separated by geography. At Franciscan Children’s Hospital, staff employed the devices to help a family in Maine stay in daily contact with their infant son receiving care seven hours away, enabling the parents to participate in care training before the child returned home.
The program has also crossed sports leagues. In 2024, Smart partnered with Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen to introduce Smart Carts to Oishei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo.
Beyond the hospital wards, the YounGameChanger Foundation extends its reach into underserved communities by funding education, mentoring, sports, and STEAM programs. Smart has also advocated for bone marrow donor registration through collaborations with organizations like Be the Match and Aflac. While acknowledging that his foundation cannot eliminate the physical hardships of illness, Smart continues to emphasize the value of direct support. Sometimes, as he noted, all it takes is a little bit of time and a tool to make a child feel like a kid again.
