A True Hero-Canadian or otherwise

[charlene]

25 years ago today the world lost one of the bravest people we'll ever know at age 22.

It, for me was one of the saddest days of my life and still to this day just the mention of him can make me cry. What he accomplished has never been matched by anyone else. It truly was heroic.

Bless you Terry Fox and bless his family who continue his legacy to raise money for cancer research. The annual Terry Fox runs are held in countries all over the world.

From the site:
http://www.terryfoxrun.org/english/a...efault.asp?s=1

Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and raised in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, a community near Vancouver on Canada's west coast. An active teenager involved in many sports, Terry was only 18 years old when he was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma (bone cancer) and forced to have his right leg amputated 15 centimetres (six inches) above the knee in 1977.
While in hospital, Terry was so overcome by the suffering of other cancer patients, many of them young children, that he decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research.

He would call his journey the Marathon of Hope.

After 18 months and running over 5,000 kilometres (3,107 miles) to prepare, Terry started his run in St. John’s, Newfoundland on April 12, 1980 with little fanfare. Although it was difficult to garner attention in the beginning, enthusiasm soon grew, and the money collected along his route began to mount. He ran 42 kilometres (26 miles) a day through Canada's Atlantic provinces, Quebec and Ontario.

It was a journey that Canadians never forgot.

However, on September 1st, after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 miles), Terry was forced to stop running outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario because cancer had appeared in his lungs. An entire nation was stunned and saddened. Terry passed away on June 28, 1981 at age 22.

The heroic Canadian was gone, but his legacy was just beginning.

To date, more than $400 million has been raised worldwide for cancer research in Terry's name through the annual Terry Fox Run, held across Canada and around the world.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/fox_terry/
and
http://www.terryfoxrun.org/english/home/default.asp?s=1

[DJ in MJ]

One of our greatest heroes. I remember his run as though it were yesterday. Think about it. He ran halfway across Canada with one leg AND with a history of cancer.

And I can barely motivate myself to go to work somedays...

[Jesse Joe]

Ah yes my Dear Charlene,

This young man was AMAZING to say the least. I was privilege, to get to meet him, when he went by our town, in 1980.

I remember him, people were talking about this one legged man, that was going to pass through, the village. It was a Tuesday morning, 11:45 am, as he went by. Can't remember the exact date, but it was in May.

And I was in the village, which is about 1 mile from my home. And on my then bicycle, I pulled right besides him, and joined him until I reached home. The van was behind us. But at that time no one knew who they were. (DOUG)


I remember my dear old mother and father sitting on the veranda, as he went by. He waived to them, and also waived to people who were outside the Restaurant, and Liquor Commission, which is on the same road but opposite side of our house. My mother was crying, and I can still see him going up west, with a dream, that seemed to me, Impossible.

That night he gave a speech at the Town Hall. And he was touched by the people of the smaller N.B. villages, on the TV special, 'He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother.' there is a mention of that.

I have lots of VHS tapes from his story on television programs about him. Including, 'He Ain't Heavy He's My brother.'

Even one where the late great John Denver, sang, 'The Battled Is Over'. Also him saying, Well whenever I get another problem in this world, Im just gone a think of ole Terry Fox.

The last word he said to me was, Thanks!!!

Thank you Char for bringing this up...JJ.


{His mother did come back to this town to addresse the people, and I guess basically to have people never forget, and to keep the dream alive.}


http://www.civilization.ca/tresors/s...s/saobj07b.jpg

[ June 28, 2006, 07:55: Message edited by: Jesse -Joe ]

[charlene]

David - a history of cancer and now we know he was dying of it while he ran his marathon every day.
It's an amazing story and legacy he has left the world.
JJ - I never saw him in person altho he was right down the street at TIm Horton's !
lol
That's where he met up with his parents after not seeing them for months. There was a ceremony there last year to commemorate it.

Terry endeared himself to me even more by having Darryl Sittler as his idol! lol

My son is named after him!

On that same Sept.1,1981 a young fellow, Jeffrey, (he was 12) I knew was diagnosed with cancer as well. Altho it seemed he would not survive either, he did and today is a doctor as he promised when being treated at Sick Kids hospital and he and his wife had a miracle baby in February, never thinking he'd have his own kids after all of his cancer treatments. My son is also named after Jeffrey.

So the whole Darryl Sittler/Terry Fox/cancer/Jeffrey circle means a lot to me...
Char

toronto sun:
http://www.torontosun.com/News/Colum...8/1656850.html

[Jesse Joe]

I know exactly what you mean, and I sympathize with you. Boy are you sorry you didn't go to that Tims. lol

[culverd]

Thanks for posting this. My father died of cancer a couple of weeks after Terry. My mother died of cancer about 10 years after Terry and my brother of the same disease about 20 years after Terry. The fight goes on.

I went to see Bachman and Cummings Monday in Ottawa since it is important to take time to enjoy life since one never know. In my view Bachman and Cummings are some of the best songwriters this country has ever produced.

[charlene]

culverd-sorry to hear about your losses. cancer is an insidious disease and i'm sure all of us have been affected in some way by it.

Bachman/Cummings - oh yeah - love them both...in all their incarnations!
lol
TCB

[charlene]

Originally posted by Jesse -Joe:
I know exactly what you mean, and I sympathize with you. Boy are you sorry you didn't go to that Tims. lol

CBC has this up at their site:
wow---just had a few teary moments...what a kid he was....what a kid...

http://archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-69-71/l...ety/terry_fox/

[brink-]

I remember way back I watched a movie of him, I have a t-shirt (I ordered from the web site) and a roll of commemorative coins of Terry that I ordered from the Canadian Mint last year. Richard (hkusam) was suppose to find me some, but failed so I ordered them. I have the story of him printed out with the coins attached for the grandkids.

[ June 28, 2006, 15:56: Message edited by: brink- ]

[charlene]

Robert Duvall was in that movie. I still have not been able to watch it....A newer version was made a couple of years ago.

It's good that your grandkids will know what a real hero is...not just person who can hit a ball or score a goal....or be in a movie..
lucky grandkids to have a grandma like you!