Her battle with cancer didn’t stop then 16-year-old Gina Smith from fulfilling a lifelong dream last summer. Now the Dartmouth girl’s name will become a permanent part of the Miss Teen Canada International pageant. She represented Nova Scotia in July. Organizers are setting up a scholarship called the Gina Smith Award of Inspiration, which will be presented to a pageant contestant each year. President Sylvia Stark flew in from Toronto Friday to discuss the scholarship with the ailing girl’s family and to present Gina with a specially made sash the teenager hopes will inspire other young cancer patients. Gina – who was in remission from painful bone cancer called Ewing’s sarcoma when she graced the pageant stage – has since suffered a serious setback. She has several tumours in her spine and lungs and another in her heart. The girl, at home with her family and nursing care, was too ill to go ahead with a planned interview Friday. But a family member and Ms. Stark said this week she wants the sash, which says Miss Teen Nova Scotia and is of design usually reserved for pageant winners, to be taken to the IWK Health Centre’s cancer ward. “She wants to get across to children that have cancer that you can fulfill your dreams and taking part in Miss Teen Canada was her dream,” Ms. Stark said. The pageant president said her office has been inundated with calls of support for Gina since people heard of her relapse. Sponsors have already committed to the monetary scholarship while last summer’s pageant participants have given Ms. Stark cards and notes to bring to Gina. “She’s such an inspiration to people and to children that have cancer. I mean she took part in our pageant for 10 days, she never complained, she wanted to be treated like everybody else and she was just a trooper… “Everyone’s thinking of her and everyone is praying for her.”

Gina’s story inspired others before she even attended the Ontario event. She was chosen to represent Nova Scotia after applying to the pageant – a method used for provinces like Nova Scotia that don’t have their own regional competitions. Even though she’d been through weeks of radiation, hair loss and an operation to replace her left hip and pelvic bone, Gina said last spring that she wanted to fulfill her dream of competing, win or lose.

But Gina, who had to re-learn how to walk after her surgery, still had to raise money for airfare and the $2,600 entrance fee, which covers the winner’s expenses during the year of her reign. Staff at the IWK held a bake sale, which raised $600 while Cancer Care Nova Scotia donated $500. After her story was publicized, a stranger anonymously donated $1,100. Gina was overwhelmed by the kindness. “I was shocked that people who showed so much interest. People were so interested in giving money, that to me is really sweet,” she said at the time.

The teenager, who has also volunteered at the hospital helping young patients cope with hair loss, didn’t win the pageant. But she received a standing ovation as fellow contestants surprised her with a special courage award. Her courage still inspires, said Ms. Stark, whose father died from cancer.