Terry Fox Run

Today Suzy, my neighbor Diana, and I participated in the Terry Fox Run. We had a great 10 K run and it always feels good to be a part of an event that raises money for cancer research.



Here is his story, it's a great one so I had to share:

Terry Fox was only 18 years old when he was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma (bone cancer) and forced to have his right leg amputated above the knee in 1977. While in the 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.

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.





It's stories like these that make me realize how we sometimes take the little things for granted..like being able to run. Today I ran with a little spring in my step and when my legs started to get fatigued or my breathing a little labored I thought of Terry as he ran all those miles with a prosthetic.


After the run, Charlie mowed the lawn and we finally decided Aniela was old enough for a little ride. Lately she has been climbing on the tractor all by herself and decided to show daddy how it's done. She loved her ride and had a smile from ear to ear. The hard part now will be to keep her from throwing a tantrum the next time it's out because she wants to ride it..the only things she needs now is a cowboy hat! And if you'll notice from the picture above fall is here already! It seems as though the leaves turned overnight. I just hope that the leaves stay onfor the grandpas who arrive at the end of the month!

Aniela demonstrates the proper way to get on a John Deere