[2023-08-14] Gearing up for September's cancer walks
Today, I received my red participant t-shirt for the 2023 Terry Fox Run. Red t-shirts are provided free to cancer survivors participating in the Run. The same is true of ovarian cancer survivors who take part in Ovarian Cancer Canada's Walk of Hope. I've always found it touching to pass other walkers/runners wearing a survivor t-shirt. We recognize immediately that we have survived cancer and are thriving enough to participate in the fundraising event.
I participate in the Walk of Hope and the Terry Fox Run for myself, for others like me who have had cancer in the past, and for people who will be diagnosed with cancer in the future. I walk to raise funds, but mostly to raise awareness, to show solidarity with other cancer survivors and their loved ones, and to celebrate that I am still here.
Both Ovarian Cancer Canada and The Terry Fox Foundation support research, something I have benefited from personally. As a carrier of a mutation in my BRCA2 gene, I have access to a drug that went through years of development, clinical trials and regulatory approval. The drug I take (medical name olaparib, brand name Lynparza) was approved by Health Canada only in 2016, just four years before I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I attribute the fact that I have had no recurrence of ovarian cancer to this drug, and I am grateful for the research that was done that led to its discovery, testing and approval.
Should you wish to support The Terry Fox Foundation, my Terry Fox Run fundraising page is open. Should you wish to support Ovarian Cancer Canada, my Walk of Hope fundraising page is open.
Should you not be in a position to donate to either walk, you can still support me—and, by extension, the two organizations—by reading my story, sharing it with others, and liking and sharing my social media posts related to the walks.
