Photos by: Ashley Hassard
At Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square, Reynolds traded jokes for raw honesty, honouring the SickKids patient who gave his platform purpose.
To mark the SickKids Foundation’s 150th anniversary, the organization hosted a celebration at Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square, complete with live performances, family festivities, and a sky-bound reveal of a hot air balloon bearing the SickKids name. But the moment that cut through the noise came when Ryan Reynolds stepped up to the mic and put the jokes on pause.
“Over a decade ago, I met Grace at the Canada Walk of Fame event here in Toronto,” he began. “She changed my life.”
Reynolds spoke about Grace Bowen, a SickKids patient whose spirit stunned him. “There was this wind blowing through her, this energy, this presence. The moment you met her, you couldn’t believe that a child with that much vitality, that much X factor, could be so sick.”
“She ran up and gave me this hug—out of nowhere—and I think that was the last time I ever saw her. She passed away not long after.”
It was a turning point. “Before Grace, I didn’t do much with the platform I had,” Reynolds admitted. “I was lucky to have it, but I wasn’t really using it. Grace woke me up.”
That wake-up call became a lifelong promise. “From that moment on, I made a promise to myself: I would never say no to a kid who’s battling something—whether it’s a rare disease or a long, hard journey of healing. I would always show up.”
What struck him most, though, wasn’t just the children—it was their parents.
“Kids, even when they’re sick, often have this incredible sense of calm,” he said. “But if you look over at the parents? You see it in their eyes. They’ve poured everything they have into making sure their child feels safe and okay. And there’s often nothing left for themselves.”
Reynolds reflected on how SickKids Foundation and the work he’s done with them over the years gave his fame real purpose. “It’s selfish in the best way,” he said. “Giving—whether it’s time, money, videos, or just attention—makes me feel more grounded. It makes all the weird stuff that comes with fame feel more manageable.”
He smiled. “SickKids Foundation has become like a second home to me—a second family. Well… third, if you count that secret one I have in Denmark.”
It was classic Reynolds: deeply heartfelt, disarmingly honest, and still funny.
“One video a week? No problem,” he said. “For any kid, any time. Always.”
The event, presented by PCL Construction, was part of SickKids’ year-long celebration of a hospital that has shaped pediatric care for generations.
“This sesquicentennial year marks not only 150 years since SickKids’ inception on April 3, 1875, but also an ongoing celebration of the profound impact we’ve made every day since,” said Jennifer Bernard, President and CEO of SickKids Foundation, ahead of the event.
“As we reflect on this remarkable milestone, we recognize that our 150th anniversary is fundamentally about the future we are shaping together.”
Reynolds couldn’t agree more.
“I just want to thank everyone at SickKids Foundation, the hospital, every nurse, doctor, researcher, parent, and volunteer. You’re the real heroes—the ones doing the work every single day,” Reynolds said.
“And if I had a hat, my hat’s off to you.”
