GO FURTHER FOR YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH AT CHEO
Iam hot, running slowly and I have only been at it for about 15 minutes. I ran my last race 14 years ago and placed in my age group, but I am now officially old and have gained a substantial amount of weight. What on earth was I thinking of when I signed up for this 5K? Well, mostly I was thinking, there’s no way I can do a 10K, but seriously, I could have just done something for CHEO from the podium. It is September 24, 2017 and I am running in the inaugural RBC Race for the Kids Ottawa. I am the Chief of Psychiatry at CHEO, so I definitely could have just spoken inspiring words to the people who showed up to race.
But as I plod along, a slide show of memories starts to fuel my steps: memories of kids with whom I’ve worked. There’s J., a boy who was badly abused and neglected from birth until he was three. Adopted then by extraordinary parents, his physical growth caught up, but his emotional brain was still that of a six month old. He still whimpered and froze hearing a loud noise. And S., who at 10 years old had lost half her body weight from depression and just wanted me to let her die so she could join her grandmother. Or D., a youth who began to hear voices and believing they were God’s messages, went out into the street in the middle of a winter night without shoes or a coat to spread the sacred word. I was able to help these children, but too many of our children and youth in Eastern Ontario go without proper care. With each slide that flashed through my mind, I ran a little harder and a little faster, knowing I was raising money to help all the kids that need care now and will need it in the future. With that race, in which I was able to run the entire way, we raised $295,118. That money is helping get care to younger children, getting kids into care faster, and working on fixing the system. We still have a long way to go to make the system work the way it should. That’s why I’m running again in 2018. But this year, I’m going to run the 10K. Join me on Sunday, September 16 at RBC Race for the Kids as we once again lace up to help support mental health programs at CHEO. I can assure you that every step you take will make a difference. Together we can go further for youth mental health at CHEO. To sign up visit rbcraceforthekids.com/ottawa.