Terry Fox Memorial unveiled at “Mile 0” in St. John's Newfoundland.

Twenty-five years ago on April 12, Terry Fox began his Marathon of
Hope journey with the quest to raise awareness and funds for cancer
research.  Click here for the story from CBC. 

I am anxiously awaiting the start of CBC Radio's Sounds Like Canada program to hear host Shelagh Rogers report “live” with the Fox family.  At
the same time, Doug Coupland's new book Terry gets it's official
launch. The Fox family and Doug Coupland join Shelagh Rogers on a
special Sounds Like Canada live from the Battery Hotel in St. John's,
Newfoundland.

Terry Fox inspires many people and many ideas.  He is the
quintesential Canadian hero – thinking of others… wanting to help
relieve the suffering of others.

Personally, I am very interested in following the stories for three reasons: 

1) In 1989, I almost died from a near-fatal cancer tumor in my
chest.  A large tumor, the size of a large grapefruit, was
displacing my vital organs – filling my lungs half-full with fluids,
choking my vena cava (where the blood returns to the heart), and
causing internal bruising.  At the time, they said treatment
survivorship had been 50% ten years before, but in 1989 they were
“shooting for 100%.”  But my tumor had been found late… and so
they only give me a 60% chance of survival, and later told me that
without treatment, I would have died in two weeks.  On June 21, I
started receiving chemotherapy that would last for five months.

2) I am a Terry's Team Member
– Cancer survivors who serve as living
examples that cancer research has made a difference.  We speak at
Terry Fox Runs throughout the country, and at elementary schools. 
I have been a Terry's Team member since 1993, and have spoken at run
sites throughout the Greater Vancouver area such as Vancouver, North
Vancouver, West Vancouver, Burnaby, North Delta… + Kelowna BC, and
even Beijing China in 1993.  I am always amazed to hear the
stories from other Terry's Team members, it's a special survivor
kinship that we would hope nobody else will have to experience.

3) I helped to create a Terry Fox Day
and Terry Fox Run at Simon Fraser University in 1994, and a trophy case
dedicated to Terry was unveiled.  In 1991, a statue of Terry was
unveiled at a re-invigorated Terry Fox Day. Thousands of SFU students can now see everyday, that Terry was a student, just like them.

25 Years of Hope – The Legacy of Terry Fox

If you have memories of Terry and would like to share what he means to you, please click here. 
CBC will possibly the stories for on television, radio, internet and
given to Douglas Coupland for inclusion for a new book.

For my article and pictures of the Canadian Mint coin unveiling at Simon Fraser University March 14,2005 click here