Racing Towards Recovery: One Patient Rallies to Give Back and Get Better

In 2019, during one of her many trips to North York General Hospital’s (NYGH) chemo clinic, Melanie Smith noticed something different at the South entrance elevators. It was a poster, recently placed on the wall, for an event called ‘Rally in the Ravine’.

“This poster really grabbed my curiousity,” Melanie recalls. At the time, she was undergoing aggressive chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer, which made walking especially challenging. But that day, something changed. “I told myself, ‘I’m going to figure out how to do the race. And I’m going to give back.’”

Racing Towards Recovery: One Patient Rallies to Give Back and Get Better

Exceptional Care in Motion

This strong desire to help support NYGH, Melanie says, stemmed from the ‘tremendous’ care she and her family had received at NYGH during various life-defining moments.

“From the first time I met my surgical and medical oncologists, they called me by my first name. I wasn’t just a number at NYGH—I was a person. Every three weeks, I’d be there, and everyone knew who I was. There was a true sense of community that made me feel so comforted and cared for.”

These same staff who would greet her at every visit, she says, began calling Melanie ‘the walker,’ cheering her on as she trained herself to move again.

“They knew what I was training for. I had no eyelashes, radiation burns on my chest, and walked with an umbrella and ski goggles. But I created a team—Team Melanie—and I went for it.”

Race Day Realized

Finally at the outset of her first Rally, surrounded by a crowd of people, Melanie says she felt alive again.

“For so long, I had been a patient, but that day, that Rally was a celebration of life. Friends and family cheered me on. The race was incredibly tough—we came in last—but we finished. That’s all I wanted.”

Since completing her chemotherapy treatment in March of 2020, Melanie has gone on to participate in every Rally since — with memories along the way such as meeting former mayor John Tory and completing a virtual 5k Rally run in Quebec City in the midst of the pandemic.

Having just registered for her sixth year, Melanie is set to run again on October 5th, but this year will be especially difficult. Her husband, who had hoped to participate in the 10k race, recently passed away after his own brief battle with cancer.

“I’ll certainly be honouring him this year. My husband loved NYGH as much as I do and received the same level of exceptional care in those final days that I had become so familiar with as a patient of NYGH.”

North York General Strong

“I always tell people—I love this place. And as for the Rally, I tell pretty much everyone about it and they tell others about it. As my own support system grows, so does the support for this hospital.”

“When you have a life-threatening disease, you seek comfort—you’re vulnerable,” says Melanie as a final thought. “The warmth and sense of community I have felt at this hospital has blown me away. I’m proud to give back in any way I can.”

Inspired by Melanie’s Story?

We encourage you to participate in this year’s Rally in the Ravine in support of North York General! This one-day event features a 1KM, 5KM, 10KM and Kids Mini Rally, and also has great food, vendors, and other exciting on-site activities.

Join us with your family and friends to celebrate NYGH and its incredible staff who go above and beyond every day to provide the kind of care everyone deserves. Funds will support the hospitals’ areas of greatest needs.