SickKids Foundation Partner
It started with Mason, one child, one diagnosis, one family who refused to stay silent.
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SickKids Foundation Partner
The Walk for Chiari was created from a deeply personal journey. Mason was diagnosed with Chiari malformation after a long and uncertain path of symptoms, appointments, and unanswered questions.
Like many families affected by Chiari, we quickly learned how complex, misunderstood, and often difficult to diagnose this condition can be. What followed was a journey filled with challenges, learning, and the need to advocate strongly for answers and care.
As a family, we experienced firsthand the emotional and physical impact that Chiari can have not only on the individual diagnosed, but on everyone who loves and supports them.
Through this journey, we were introduced to the incredible work of The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). The Walk for Chiari began as a way to turn our experience into action transforming struggle into purpose, and isolation into community.
Educating the public and medical professionals to reduce misdiagnosis.
Directing resources to institutions advancing Chiari treatment and surgical outcomes.
Building a community of support so no one faces this diagnosis alone.
Seeing a community come together each year families, friends, neighbours, sponsors, and volunteers has shown us the power of shared purpose. What began with one story has grown into a movement. We walk for a future filled with hope.
Most people have never heard of it. Understanding it saves lives.
Chiari malformation is a structural defect where the skull is too small or misshapen, pressing the brain downward into the spinal canal. This restricts cerebrospinal fluid flow, causing a cascade of neurological problems.
Because symptoms mimic migraines and chronic fatigue, Chiari is frequently misdiagnosed. An MRI is the only definitive way to diagnose it. Early detection in children is critical without intervention, severe cases can lead to permanent nerve damage or paralysis.
By funding research and spreading awareness, we help ensure children receive timely, accurate diagnoses and the advanced surgical care they need to live full, active lives.
Our Impact Partner
When you participate in the Annual Chiari Walk Fundraiser, you're directly funding the future of pediatric neurology at one of the world's foremost pediatric healthcare institutions.
100% of net proceeds go to the Neurosurgery Department at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), allocated to groundbreaking research on Chiari malformation and related neurological conditions.
Seven years of faces, families, and fight. This is what community looks like.
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