The hardest part of cancer isn't always the diagnosis. It's knowing what to do next.

Born from lived experience

Smilo Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to helping people navigate cancer with greater clarity, confidence, and support.

After Mike Smilo was diagnosed with Stage 4 melanoma and leptomeningeal disease, and given only weeks to live, we experienced firsthand how overwhelming, fragmented, and difficult the healthcare journey can become. We quickly learned that access to the right information, the right questions, and the right people can change everything.

It took relentless research, persistence, and an extraordinary network of professionals to uncover opportunities and perspectives that many patients may never realize exist.

We created Smilo Foundation to help change that.

Through a personalized and evolving support model, we help individuals and families better understand complex medical information, navigate difficult decisions, and feel more empowered throughout their journey. By combining innovative technology with guidance from experienced professionals across many disciplines, we make meaningful insight and support more accessible to those facing cancer, wherever they are.

Our approach goes beyond medical records. We connect people with resources they may not know to look for, including educational guidance, emerging research, integrative and lifestyle support, emotional support, and faith-based encouragement for those who want it.

Patients and caregivers deserve more than confusion and isolation during the hardest moments of their lives. They deserve clarity. They deserve support. And they deserve the ability to advocate for themselves with confidence.

Above all, Smilo Foundation exists to provide hope: to encourage people to keep searching, keep asking questions, and never settle when it comes to their life and health.