[2021-08-28] Cancer fundraisers: two choices

It's hard to believe that September is just around the corner. It is an important month for anyone affected by cancer, including ovarian cancer.

In just over two weeks—on Sunday, October 12—the Ovarian Cancer Canada Walk of Hope will take place. And one week later—on Sunday, October 19—the Terry Fox Run will be held.

I plan to participate in both fundraising efforts, which will be held virtually across the country.

I have decided to fund-raise for both events at the same time so that those of you considering a donation would not feel compelled to contribute to both. If you wish to donate to either campaign, click on Jen's Ovarian Cancer Canada Walk of Hope Donation Page or Jen's Terry Fox Run Donation Page. A donation of any size is appreciated.

I hope that you will consider donating to my fundraising effort, particularly if I have helped you in the past, through my work, through my blogs Café Jen and Jenesis, or through my mentoring.

Ovarian Cancer Canada Walk of Hope

In 2020, I was one of approximately 3,100 individuals diagnosed with ovarian cancer in Canada. Another 3,100 people will receive this same unexpected news by the time 2021 winds down. As the old Breck shampoo commercial used to say, "and so on and so on and so on...."

Each of us is part of an extended family who loves us. For many, our cancer diagnosis was just as devastating to our parents, siblings, children, relatives, friends and colleagues as it was to us.

I am pleased to join the thousands of participants who will take part in this year's Ovarian Cancer Canada Walk of Hope. Some are ovarian cancer survivors like me; others are the friends and family of people who have faced the illness. For all participants and supporters, the Walk represents hope for a future without this disease.

Ovarian Cancer Canada is the only national charity that champions the health and well-being of women with ovarian cancer and others at risk of this disease. The more than $30 million raised to date through the Walk has gone toward funding vital research, spurring advocacy efforts, and providing support so that Ovarian Cancer Canada can help women with, or at risk of, ovarian cancer live fuller, better and longer lives.

Terry Fox Run

I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer 40 years after Terry Fox ran his Marathon of Hope in 1980. Of course, I knew of Terry's legend, having been a teenager when he started his trek across the country. But I came to know more about him and his incredible accomplishment when I, too, was struck by cancer many years after he was.

I have written several articles about Terry in this blog. In my first post, simply titled Terry Fox, I recounted Terry's extraordinary story based on a piece in CBC's The National honouring the 40th anniversary of the Marathon of Hope. In Stories, I reflected on Forever Terry: A Legacy in Letters, an incredible book that includes 40 letters from 40 contributors honouring Terry and his legacy. As I said in that post, every time I read about Terry, I learn something new—some fact that expresses just how awe-inspiring his achievement was. In Terry Fox and Me, I shared my impressions of the children's book of the same name, which tells the story of the deep friendship between Terry and his Marathon of Hope traveling companion, Doug Alward. And in Terry Fox's challenge, I shared additional excerpts from Forever Terry: A Legacy in Letters on a day when I was recovering from my fifth round of chemotherapy. On that occasion, I was reminded of the inscription on Terry Fox's monument in Thunder Bay, which reads: "To every Canadian, he left us a challenge—a challenge each of us will meet in our own way."

Many people took up Terry's challenge. Over the past four decades, $850 million has been raised in his name to support cancer research.

2021 and beyond

Last September, when the Ovarian Cancer Canada Walk of Hope and the Terry Fox Run took place, I was recovering from surgery to remove as many cancerous tumours from my body as feasible and getting ready for the start of six rounds of chemotherapy. I wasn't yet in the frame of mind to participate in fundraising efforts related to cancer. In fact, I was probably a little in denial about being a cancer patient.

But a year later, I am strong and confident and comfortable saying that I am an ovarian cancer survivor.

I also hope to be a cancer previvor, a term referring to someone who is at an elevated risk of developing cancer but who does not yet have the disease. Because I have a mutation in my BRCA2 (breast cancer 2) gene, I face a high risk of developing breast cancer: 50-85%. I can thank research for genetic testing, surgical options and medication—all of which I'm hoping will keep me alive and healthy for years to come.

With your support, many other people—both those with cancer and those who will be diagnosed in the future—may have hope that they will survive the disease and continue to thrive.