Terry Fox ran up and down mountains, hills and through forests and the temperature changed every day. One day it could be snowing, rain or very hot but it never stopped him. I know he wasn’t trekking in a normal way but he did more than trek.
This week is Terry Fox’s Week in Canada. He was a young lad who lost his leg to cancer. In those days they didn’t have the artificial legs like they do now and his artificial leg was just strong wires attached to a shoe.
Terry was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and raised in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, a community near Vancouver on Canada’s west coast.
After a few years of participating in running for cancer research he decided to run across Canada. He knew he wouldn’t make it but he knew this would make news and encourage other people to participate.
Terry Fox had bone cancer in his right leg. He had it amputated to about six inches above his right knee.
In 1980 he started is run in Nova Scotia by dipping his foot into the Atlantic Ocean. He had run for 143 days and more than 5, 000 kilometers when he collapsed in Thunder Bay, (at the western end of Lake Superior), this is about half was across Canada.
The doctors found that he had two tumors that each were the size of tennis balls in his lungs. He died one month before his 23rd birthday.
His goal was to have every Canadian donate $1.00. His run raised over $24 million dollars.
Since then they have had a Terry Fox run for cancer each year in Canada and sixty other countries.
What We Did
My Husband and I always walk, not run, in this event. This year it was held on September 11th. We hadn’t had a cloudy day in months but this year Sunday was cloudy and we even had some rain. We stared at Oak Bay Park where we were given pink arm bands, a large bottle of water to carry and a T-shirt that had the arms and sides ripped out to put over our neck. The shirt had our numbers on it, (mine was 333 and his was 334), to wear while we were walking.
We can walk 10 kilometers and hour and the first part was easy. The last 15 kilometers took us 3 ½ hours with a lot of pit stops to get more water and to get rid of what we had drank already. There were policemen at every corner blocking the traffic, (they stayed there until the last person went by them.
The marathon ends at mile zero of the Trans Canada highway, on edge of Beacon Hill Park. I know we didn’t finish last and that isn’t the point. At the end we each received a white T-shirt with Terry’s picture on it.
On Tuesday, September 18th, a life sized statue of Terry was unveiled at mile zero of the Trans Canada Highway.
This means if you ever come to Victoria you can go and see it.
I Did Something Else
To honor Terry On Wednesday the students and one teacher met me at the Royal Jubile Hospital. I had arranged with the Doctor who was the head of the cancer ward that we could come in and surprize the patients.
They brought clean wigs and, (I had bought some funky colored wigs), their brushes, combs and scissors. I brought a lot of make-up. Everyone in the ward received a new wig that they had picked. The students cut it to the style they wanted and I put on make-up. The men patients just got the wig.
When we finished they change their cloths. That is when my husband and daughter brought in huge balloons and my grandson and his lady friend, (both are chiefs), made a huge chocolate mouse cake. The nurses who work in the ward brought a variety of wigs.
The children and teenagers had picked out bright colored wigs and they looked adorable. The local organization gave us some Terry Fox T-shirts to give to every patient. Every one was allowed to keep the wigs and the make-up stayed in the ward.
Both days were special to me. I hope that if you don’t participate yet you will sooner rather than later.
My father died of prostrate cancer, his mother died of brest cancer and my husband has had skin cancer and some kidney cancer, (that they were able to remove). Because of my father and grandmother I go for a mammogram every other year. You should go at least that often. Men can get cancer in their breasts. Terry Fox would want you to go to the doctor if you fell a lump, see strang things on your skin or not feel up to par.
If you want to know more about Terry the link is:
https://terryfoxrun.org/english/home/default.asp?s=1
I’ll end with a quote from Terry Fox who said, ’’Somewhere the hurting must stop.’’
Thanks for reading my review.
©LL2005