This year’s hike will be extra special: Maliyah is joining us! Together, we’ll take on 42.2 km, the distance of a full marathon, as one community, walking side by side to raise awareness and critical funds for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Mount Sinai Hospital. Our goal is to raise $30,000.

What started as a challenge inspired by Maliyah’s journey has grown into something we can now experience alongside her. This year’s hike is about coming together, taking on every kilometre as a team, and giving back to the NICU that gave Maliyah and our family so much.

The NICU at Mount Sinai Hospital cares for some of the smallest and most vulnerable patients in our community. As the largest NICU in Canada by admissions, the team supported more than 1,200 premature and critically ill babies last year, providing specialized care and hope to families during some of life's most challenging moments. 

Mount Sinai is a leader in newborn NeuroCritical Care, helping improve outcomes for babies at increased risk of developmental delays, cerebral palsy, and cognitive impairments resulting from serious neurological complications. The NICU is also home to the Maternal-Infant Care (MiCare) Research Centre, which advances neonatal care through research and quality improvement initiatives informed by outcomes data collected from NICUs across Canada and around the world. 

Together, the NICU's dedicated team of physicians, nurses, researchers, and support staff work every day to give vulnerable newborns the strongest possible start in life.