Terry Fox is a hero not only for Canadians, but also for anybody who knows his story. This hero was born on July 28, 1958 in Manitoba. He was raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, and then eventually moved to the family home in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. From childhood, it was evident that Fox loved sports like basketball, soccer and baseball. He also was a diver. In his teenage years, he won numerous medals in diving and swimming competitions. Throughout these activities he felt persistent sharp pain in his right leg and noticed that there was something wrong.
At the age of 18, nearly a year after discovering the pain in his leg, Terry Fox was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma, a form of bone cancer which very often starts at the knee and works its way up into the muscles and tendons. The only way to treat this condition was to amputate his right leg a few inches above the knee. It was a shock for Fox’s family, but Fox decided to make a difference. He intended to spend the rest of his life giving courage to people who are sick with cancer.
After three years, Fox decided to run throughout Canada to raise money and awareness for cancer research. He created the “Marathon of Hope” which gives hope for all patients of cancer. He began his marathon from Newfoundland by dipping his leg in the Atlantic Ocean and he planned to dip it in the Pacific Ocean at the end of the marathon in Victoria, British Columbia. He ran 143 days for more than 3000 miles across Canada. On September 1, 1980, Terry Fox was forced to stop his run just outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario, as his bone cancer spread to his lungs. He passed the way in 1981, but his spirit, dream and hope are still alive today.
The Terry Fox run has grown to involve millions of participants in more than 60 countries. It’s now the world’s largest day fundraiser for cancer research. Over 500 million Canadian dollars have been raised in the name of Terry Fox. One day we will be able to realize his dream and find a cure to cancer.
