Among the Terry Fox quotes published on The Terry Fox Foundation website is this one:

"It took cancer to realize that being self-centered is not the way to live. The answer is to try and help others."

Terry Fox was just 18 when he started his Marathon of Hope, an age at which one might be forgiven for being a little self-centred. And yet, even at that young age, Terry saw a need and a role beyond his family, his friends, his school and his community. Following his treatment for osteogenic sarcoma and his experience with other patients in the cancer wards,

A newly nurtured reservoir of compassion, combined with a fierce determination to bring an end to the suffering cancer causes, set Terry on a path that, quite simply, changed the world.

The need was for more money for cancer research. The role was his reality-defying goal to run across Canada, doing a marathon a day on an artificial leg for an astounding 143 days.

Another quote suggested that Terry was aware that some questioned his motives:

They seem to forget what I’m doing this for. They think I’m running across Canada on some kind of an ego trip. It is a personal challenge, but I’m trying to raise as much money as I can for a very important cause.

The money Terry raised in life—and has since inspired in death—is stunning:

Before his death on June 28, 1981, Terry had achieved his once unimaginable goal of $1 from every Canadian. More importantly, he had set in motion the framework for an event, The Terry Fox Run, that would ignite cancer research in Canada, raising more than $850 million since 1980, and bring hope and health to millions of Canadians.

Hope and health—two of the most important things a cancer patient needs and wants. When I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, I was shocked and bewildered. As I moved through the various stages of my cancer treatment, I experienced moments of hope: a successful surgery, a plummeting CA125 following three rounds of chemotherapy, an additional line of treatment available because of the mutation in my BRCA2 gene. At every stage of my ovarian cancer treatment, I benefited from research that was done in the past. I am healthy today because of that research. Others are not so lucky and need research to continue.

That's why I registered for the 2024 Terry Fox Run, which will take place on Sunday, September 15.

Terry said,

"It’s one thing to run across Canada, but now, people are really going to know what cancer is."

Terry raised awareness about cancer, which—four decades later—remains the leading cause of death in Canada. A May 2024 article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal noted that, "Previous estimates suggest that 45% of all people in Canada will receive a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. As the population grows and ages, new cancer cases and deaths from cancer in Canada are also increasing."

Raising funds to support cancer research, whether through the Terry Fox Run or other cancer-specific efforts, such as Ovarian Cancer Canada's Walk of Hope, contributes to hope and health of cancer patients. But any efforts to raise awareness about cancer make a difference, whether that's supporting fundraising endeavours or amplifying social media posts about cancer and work to eradicate it.

I would be honoured if you contributed to my fundraising efforts (Jen's Terry Fox Run Fundraising Page) and equally grateful if you helped to raise awareness about the Terry Fox Run, the Ovarian Cancer Canada Walk of Hope or any other cancer-related cause near to your heart. "The answer is to try and help others."