By Jasmine Willis
DANSVILLE— A special dedication ceremony took place at the Ann and Carl Myers Cancer Center in honor of a gracious lady.
UR Medicine/Noyes Health installed a special sculpture and bench at the entrance of the cancer center in celebration of their patients.
David W. Smith donated the Butterfly Sculpture and Hope, Peace, Love, and Faith Bench to the Ann and Carl Myers Cancer Center in remembrance of his mother, L. Ruth Bornt-Smith. A bronze plaque in her honor reads, “Remembering L. Ruth Bornt-Smith, She was a grand and gracious LADY. 1906-1993 DWS, TDS,LDS.”
UR Medicine/Noyes Health CEO Amy Pollard said the cancer patients who receive chemotherapy will be able to look out the windows during treatments and see the sculpture.
“Patients with chemotherapy will be able to see them outside their windows when they are getting treatments. We have lights on the ground to show the sculpture at nighttime. It is bolted in the ground and will not be going anywhere,” she said.
Pollard thanked everyone for coming to the dedication ceremony.
“David W. Smith is a native of Dansville who is now living in Rochester. David has been a benefactor to Noyes and the cancer center for quite a few years now. A few years ago, he decided that he wanted to beautify the space outside Medical Oncology and Radiation Oncology with a sculpture,” she said. “He commissioned Kyle and Fil, local metal workers to do the sculpture. We are proud to show you the Butterfly Sculpture, which is sometimes called the Betterfly Sculpture.”
Smith said the hospital has been so good to him, and he is honored to have his sculpture and bench here.
“It is bad enough that these people have to come in here for chemotherapy. Now the butterfly was supposed to be painted pink and blue to represent colon and breast cancer, but it was torched to show a rainbow effect. Now it represents all the cancers,” he said. “I wanted a bench here as well since it is a very long walk. I have friends who have to get cancer treatment. I wanted to provide hope, peace, love, and faith to people when they sit on this bench.”
Smith thanked the entire staff at the hospital for what they do to make things easier on the patients.
“I thank all of you people for all you do for those down here. I have magnificent doctors in the city. The University of Rochester has to be one of the top doctors. This year I broke my back and they put me back together. I have had heart surgery and neurosurgery there in the city. I tell everyone I am glued together with gorilla glue,” he said. “I am so proud that you help the people here. I can do little things. I am not Mr. Saunders. You are so blessed to have him and other very generous people in your area. I like to be able to do the little things.”
Smith added his mother, L. Ruth Bornt-Smith had a rugged life, but was always a very grand and gracious lady. She was always a hard worker and spent most of it caring for her husband and three boys.
“I spent my life in Dansville. I always believed that if you make money in Dansville you should spend it in Dansville. I am glad to be able to do this small thing and return to you good people,” Smith said.
Kyle Tracy, Stephen Cartwright, and Filipe Rocha from Kyle’s Metal Shop were commissioned to make the sculpture and the bench for Smith.
Rocha said they built smaller table top versions of the butterfly sculpture, and it was very popular with people.
“We made it on a much larger scale for David and Amy and they both loved the idea. The bench matches the sculpture. We wanted to put butterflies with that as well. I have been at Kyle’s Metal Shop for over three years now, and it seems we grow every year,” he said. “It is always nice to have work on display for people to enjoy. The main point of this is that we are helping someone feel better. I am very proud to be part of this project.”
Tracy has grown up in Dansville his whole life, and always loved working with metal.
“I think this is a great opportunity for us. I have been in Dansville my whole life,” he said. “I am very proud to have this in our hometown. It was very gracious of David to pick us to do this project.”
Cartwright said he was very thankful to be part of the project as well and looks forward to doing more in the future.
Smith said he would love to do more sculptures for the other side of the walkway on the Ann and Carl Myers Cancer Center. Kyle’s Metal Shop agreed they would be happy to do more in the future. The idea of dogwood sculptures was appealing to many at the ceremony.