Garrett Harrison, right, who works in arts management for the City of Oakville, accessed group therapy online through Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto after his mother, Liz Zavitz, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in August, 2025.Wesley Forbes/Supplied
Three years ago, kindergarten teacher Laura Hughes learned she had breast cancer. Three days after her diagnosis, she contacted Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto, hoping to access support.
The weekly online group that she found through Gilda’s quickly became a lifeline during her medical journey.
She began attending virtual sessions on Friday afternoons, which followed her chemotherapy appointments earlier in the day. Through the group, she connected with other patients grappling with cancer at a time when she felt particularly alone.
“I could just safely connect with my friends in this group, and they knew all the right questions to ask because they had all been there that same week,” she said.
Like the other Gilda’s Club chapters across the United States and Canada, the Greater Toronto club offered services for cancer patients and their families, including group therapy.
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It abruptly announced on Aug. 21 that it had ceased operations after nearly 25 years, with no explanation given.
Days later, on Aug. 24, records show the organization filed for bankruptcy. It is scheduled to meet with creditors on Sept. 10.
Patients who recently received therapy through Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto have been directed to other resources, including the organization’s Simcoe Muskoka chapter.
Last week, the sister club said it would support individuals and families affected by the Toronto closing.
“Our focus is on helping people feel welcomed, supported and connected to the resources that are right for them,” executive director Lana Hann said.
Ms. Hughes was among the patients saddened to learn of the shutdown.
She described how the members of her online group later forged in-person connections and even showed up for each other at the hospital.
“They would sit with me in the waiting room, as I would for them,” she said. “It was pretty amazing.”
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Three years after meeting online, they continue to see each other regularly and have a group chat they call “Friday Friends,” a nod to those weekly Zoom sessions that first drew them together.
Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto closed weeks after the group lost its charitable status with the Canada Revenue Agency.
CRA requires charities to comply with the Income Tax Act, including filing annual returns.
The agency’s website shows the organization’s status was revoked on July 11 after it missed a deadline to file a return. The group cited the loss of its charitable status in its bankruptcy filing.
A representative for the organization could not be reached for comment through an e-mail address listed on its website. An automatic reply said the account is no longer monitored.
“We are deeply grateful to everyone who has been part of this community and for the compassion, generosity, and sense of connection fostered over the years,” it said.
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Gilda’s Club works to address the emotional and social changes that result from patients’ cancer diagnoses. Cancer specialists say patients and loved ones may experience emotional challenges, such as depression and anxiety, and barriers in interpersonal relationships.
The organization was named after the late actress Gilda Radner, who began her career in Canada in the early 1970s at the comedy theatre Second City Toronto. Ms. Radner died in 1989, three years after her own diagnosis with ovarian cancer.
Garrett Harrison, who works in arts management for the City of Oakville, accessed group therapy online through Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto after his mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in August, 2025.
He first learned about the organization’s work through his time at Second City. In January, Mr. Harrison began attending weekly therapy sessions online on Wednesday nights, alongside other caregivers.
Over eight weeks, around eight to 10 people joined the sessions and shared their experiences. The discussion was guided by a psychotherapist. The caregivers found it helpful to access online therapy while meeting loved ones’ medical needs.
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Mr. Harrison said he lost his 72-year-old mother, Liz Zavitz, on Friday, March 6, before the last scheduled Wednesday night group session. Ms. Zavitz, a devoted educator and theatre enthusiast, died just 200 days after her diagnosis.
Her son, an only child, decided he would attend that concluding therapy session, even though he found it very difficult.
“I was very quiet,” he said. ”I just wanted to show my support."
Mr. Harrison also hoped to access grief support services through Gilda’s Club. He said learning about the club’s closing through an e-mail was “very disheartening.”
“I’ve kept in touch with a few people from my group, and we were all very confused and shocked,” he said, adding they too maintain a group chat on WhatsApp.
Other organizations that support cancer patients and their families were also saddened to learn of the club ceasing operations.
On Instagram, Childhood Cancer Canada called Gilda’s a valued partner and a place where families could find “connection and community during some of the most unimaginable moments of their lives.”
Brenda Delodder, chief executive officer of the Wellspring Cancer Support Foundation, also offered support to volunteers and staff. Beyond treatment, she said, individuals need to be able to access understanding, guidance and community.
Mr. Harrison echoed this sentiment and said he hopes the situation with Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto can be resolved.
If not, he added, ”I hope others are able to step up and fill the hole that will be left with all the families.”
With reports from Stephanie Chambers in Toronto
Editor’s note: A photo caption accompanying this article incorrectly named Garrett Harrison’s mother. Her name was Liz Zavitz.