Five years after giving her first comfort kit to a young girl preparing for spinal surgery, Victoria Leo is still working to make sure children at Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada know they are not alone.
Leo, a past patient at the hospital, founded the Montreal-based Back-to-Back Project after her experience in a big sister, little sister program at Shriners in 2021.
She had undergone spinal surgery herself and recognized what the young girl she was paired with was going through.
Leo put together a comfort kit and brought it to the girl. The child’s reaction — and a message from her family afterward — convinced Leo that she wanted to do it for more patients.
“I wanted to give her like a little comfort kit,” Leo said. “She had the biggest smile on her face and her mom was so happy.”
That first kit, created in August 2021, became the foundation for a project Leo says now means everything to her.
From one comfort kit to hundreds
Back-to-Back is affiliated with Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada and currently focuses exclusively on supporting patients there.
The project’s annual fundraiser, held Saturday in Kirkland, Que., brought people together for an hour-long yoga and Pilates session — an activity Leo chose because movement is important after spinal surgery.
“Spinal surgery after you have that, it’s best to keep moving. It’s good to keep active. And after surgery, you should want to like bounce back and get back to your life. And that’s why movement is so important,” she explained.
Decorations were set up, including a green backdrop with flowers. Leo said the colour green was chosen because it is associated with scoliosis, while white was added because the two colours complement each other.
The fundraiser’s immediate goal was to help the project reach 300 comfort kits. Leo said 270 had already been made, leaving 30 more to reach that target.
Her longer-term goal is to increase the number by 100 kits each year.
The kits are designed around the needs of children recovering from spinal surgery.
“We have the comfort kit blanket because in the hospital it gets really cold. So they have the comfort kit blanket. They have their lip balms because lips get chapped after surgery. They have the reusable water bottle with a little straw because after spinal surgery you cannot move your neck like you can bend it. That’s what the straw is for. And we have socks because again, the hospital is very cold,” Leo explained.
A cause rooted in lived experience
For Leo, the project is deeply personal.
She said the idea first came to her when she was 17, and she started Back-to-Back when she was 21. Now 26, she is studying occupational therapy at McGill University.
She said the project allows her to give other children some of the support she wished for when she was going through surgery herself.
“I just wanted to give back,” Leo said. “And I felt for the little girl who I was when I had my surgery.”
The response from patients and their families continues to motivate her.
“I just love when the kids answer me and they’re like, thank you so much. Just has made my day. Like I wasn’t expecting it. And sometimes I have family members like moms, dads will write to us and be like, thank you so much. Just has helped our family. Like seeing them have a smile on their face after surgery and waking up. Like it makes my day, it makes my week. I love doing it,” she said.
Community support
Patrizia Marino, an attendee at the fundraiser, said she has known Leo all her life and came to support both her and the project.
“I know that with her behind this, it’s going to be successful. And this is just my way of supporting her and making a small contribution to this amazing initiative.”
“I really admire the fact that she took this personal experience and turned it into something to help other children going through the same thing.”
Marino said she hopes more people learn about the cause and that the project grows beyond Leo’s expectations.
Another attendee, Mikayla Chetrit, said she had seen the work Leo puts into creating the care packages and organizing the fundraiser.
“I decided to come out because I’ve seen all the behind the scenes of Victoria put so much work into this, creating her care packages and creating this event, which is such a great cause. I just wanted to be here to show my support.”
Support from Shriners
Timothy Fisher, director of communications at Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada, said initiatives led by patients and their families have an impact beyond fundraising.
“Patient-led fundraising initiatives like Victoria’s Back-to-Back Project demonstrate the extraordinary bond families have with Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada. Their commitment not only raises vital funds but also inspires our community, helping us provide specialized pediatric care to more children across Quebec, across Canada and beyond.”
For Leo, the goal remains simple: help children feel better during a difficult moment.
She said she is grateful for the community that has grown around Back-to-Back and for the people who return to support the fundraiser each year.
“This is our third year and there’s so many people that come every year. And I’m very grateful for the community that we have started to grow,” Leo said.
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