She’s only 17, but Neave Alderson has done a lot of living in her short life. At the age of 8, she was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma. She went from being an active child who loved to dance, skate, and do gymnastics to dealing with the challenges of cancer. Her life changed forever.

Neave is the winner of the 2025 Lorna Rosenstein Youth Volunteer Leadership Award. Since the age of 8, she has dedicated herself to helping others. As an ambassador at SickKids, she advocated for establishing a satellite program of the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario in her hometown of Peterborough. Through this program, children with cancer can now receive treatment closer to home, reducing many of the costs associated with travel for care.

Neave’s commitment to supporting others began even earlier. As a young child, she joined her mother creating packages for homeless people, and then went on the join Porch Pirates for Good, a project of Kawartha FoodShare.

What drives her to help others?

It’s simple, she says, “I want people to feel less alone.”

Neave’s passion to build community was shared by Lorna Rosenstein and Gilda Radner. Lorna was central to the founding of Gilda’s Toronto. She had a lifelong commitment to volunteerism and believed that no one should face cancer alone. Lorna echoed the words of Gilda herself, who, while facing ovarian cancer, dreamed of a place where “no one should face cancer alone.”

Although Neave has used a wheelchair since age 8, that hasn’t slowed her down. She sees her circumstances not as limitations but as opportunities to make a difference. She plays wheelchair curling and mentors others, aiming to give them a “normal” high school experience.

“Curling is more than just a sport. It’s a social outlet that brings me joy and helps me maintain a sense of normalcy amidst my physical challenges.”

Neave’s resilience and community support has touched so many lives. In a letter of reference, she was praised for her ability to help others despite chronic pain.

“I have no doubt that one day she will be the kind of nurse every patient hopes for – empathetic, knowledgeable, and deeply human,”

Said her mentor in two food insecurity organizations.

The Lorna Rosenstein Youth Volunteer Leadership Award and Legacy Fund were created to honour one of the founders of Gilda’s Toronto. Lorna was committed to providing people impacted by cancer with the psychosocial support they needed. Lorna died of cancer 5 years ago, but her vision lives on every day in the members who receive cancer support at Gilda’s Toronto.

Find out more about the Lorna Rosenstein Youth Volunteer Leadership Award, visit our award information page.