Monday, October 29, 2007
"Supporting the Terry Fox Foundation" @ 11:46 PM
Terry Fox was a Canadian boy who suffered from bone cancer when he was 18. He had his leg amputated, and instead of feeling really hopeless and awful, he decided to use his ailment to help create awareness for the disease and the plights of younger children suffering from cancer. He became the voice of cancer patients and their families.
He decided to run cross country from the East coast of Canada to the West coast, running for roughly 18 hours a day, with one amputated leg, then fixed with the prostethic leg.
It was the Marathon of Hope.
Fox began by dipping his leg in the Atlantic Ocean at St. John’s, Newfoundland on April 12, 1980. He intended to dip it in the Pacific Ocean when he arrived in Victoria, British Columbia.
He also filled two large bottles with Atlantic Ocean water; his plan was to keep one as a souvenir and pour the other one into the Pacific.His plan was to run about 42 km (26.2 miles) a day, the distance of a typical marathon. No one had ever done anything similar to the task Fox was undertaking.
Apparently every step he took was painful, because it was bone cancer he was suffering from, the virus eating his bones away slowly.Terry also then suffered from cancer in his lungs, caused by the bone cancer that seeped into his lungs.X-rays revealed that Terry’s right lung had a lump the size of a golf ball, and his left lung had another lump the size of a lemon.
Sometimes it would get really bad, and he is forced to retire in the medical ambulance that follows him closely behind to get treatement.Unfortunately, Terry passed away at age 22, I think during his marathon days. He had just barely covered 1/3 of the country.
He was forced to stop the run on September 1, 1980 just north-east of Thunder Bay, Ontario, after 143 days. He had run 5,373 km (3,339 miles, or around 23.3 miles per day) through Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario.
But the people were so inspired by him. They all watched him run on national tv and supported him and all. At different stops he gave speeches to the public, addressing the need for further cancer research to save the lives of many.
The Canadians didn't want to see his dream go to waste, so the Terry Fox Foundation For Cancer Research was established in his honour. His mother goes to schools and any type of learning institutes to personally receive the funds and donations raised by them, and she tells them more about Terry Fox and his dream. His mother in turn because inspiration to others, especially young kids.
Every year in Canada, and then subsequently in many countries including Malaysia (it's volunteers are usually from our CIMP course... Canadian ma) will hold not only charity drives and donation movement, but also the most important Terry Fox Foundation Marathon.
The Marathon this year is in November 4 at the Lake Gardens Kuala Lumpur.The run has been on in Malaysia for the past 15 years. All proceeds of the donations and money raised will go to cancer research within Malaysia itself. Two routes are being planned, one for fun-runners and another for experienced runners. Cyclists and roller-bladers are welcome.
I wrote this here, because this is something that touched me personally. Our Student Council did the donation drive and also the auction of rights to shave our 3 dear Canadian lecturer's hair and facial hair for the sake of cancer research. It was probably the only event in that we did in Student Council that left me with that extremely satisfied feeling inside. Like we seriously did something worthwhile, you know? Then on Talent Night, they played a video clip documentary on Terry Fox and his legacy which was shown to us by the representative of Malaysia's Terry Fox Foundation branch. (The lady was there to receive a seriously badly and rushed made mock cheque from our S.C) That video clip touched me very much. Which is pretty rare, I don't get touched by the plights of human beings much.... I've always had this thought that the human race ought to just die more so that the world's population can stabilize and stop overpopulating instead. =/ Cynical, I know. Anyway, I really felt inspired and very much moved. I think we all were in that hall that night.
I was the first one or two in our course to book the Terry Fox T-shirt and also sign up for the Terry Fox run on November 4. I hope you do the same too.
Please log on to YouTube to find out more about Terry Fox.
