41 years later, Terry Fox’s legacy helping people through life

RED DEER — When 21-year-old Terry Fox set off from St. John’s Newfoundland on April 12, 1980 for what would be a grueling, emotional and iconic 143-day Marathon of Hope, he began keeping a journal.

“Today is the day it all begins,” Terry wrote on day one, according to older brother Fred Fox, who recently spoke with rdnewsNOW about the anniversary.

“I’ve recently been reading parts of his journal. He updated it every day of his journey,” says Fox. “Him and his buddy Doug Alward — who drove the van — arrived in Newfoundland on the 8th of April, and it was the beginning of a wonderful legacy.

“When Terry wrote those words, he had no idea what it would mean 41 years later. He had so many miles ahead of him, not knowing of course he’d be re-diagnosed.”

Terry’s original goal was to raise a dollar for every Canadian (approx. 24 million) for cancer research. By the time he was forced to stop in Thunder Bay on Sept. 1, fundraising had reached about $1.7 million.

With the help of a telethon and donations through the winter of 1980-81, his efforts had caused $23 million to be raised. He passed away from metastatic osteosarcoma (bone cancer) a month before his 23rd birthday, on June 28, 1981.

As of April 2020, more than $800 million has been raised for cancer research in Terry’s name.

April 12, 1980 — Terry Fox at the harbour in St. John’s, NL. (Bill Strong)

Fox calls the days leading up to April 12 each year a time of reflection, but also an amazing time because of the vastness of stories he hears from people around the globe about how his little brother impacted their life.

“I have an opportunity to meet so many people who share their experiences of meeting Terry when he was running,” Fox says. “Maybe they were six or seven when he ran through their community and they were upset with mom or dad for being dragged out early in the morning to go see Terry come through. But in retrospect, it was the best moment of their lives being able to see him do what he did.”

Now, cancer research continues, with $21.3 million invested during the 2019-20 fiscal year by the Terry Fox Foundation. That includes $353,000 for four projects in Alberta involving 34 researchers across 10 institutions.

Funding benefits the research of all types of cancer, something the elder Fox notes was stipulated by Terry. It’s also invested into several areas from precision medicine and cancer biology to immunotherapy and cancer prevention.

Despite the pandemic, and Terry Fox Run events forced to go virtual last year, the foundation still managed to raise $18 million.

“During this pandemic, cancer hasn’t taken any breaks, so fundraising for cancer research can’t either. That would be the one message that has changed in the past year,” says Fox, who normally does numerous in-person speaking engagements for the foundation across Canada annually. “We’ve needed our ‘Terry Foxers’ more than we ever have, and they stepped up. Just like Terry, we’ve had to try a little harder.”

That jives with Terry’s motto, Fred says, which is that with a little bit of hard work, anything is possible.

As for advancements, Fox points to survival rates, particularly for bone cancer patients who have an upwards of 80 per cent chance of living a long and healthy life post-diagnosis. When Terry was diagnosed the first time, his chances were approximately 30-40 per cent, and he needed most of one leg amputated, something not typically necessary four decades later.

“I think it was April 26, about day 15, Terry is barely halfway through Newfoundland, he’s having a really bad day with dizzy spells, and in his journal he questions, ‘Is this it? Am I going to let everyone down?’ But he said, ‘No, I want to set an example that will never be forgotten,’ so he did 20 pushups on the road and continued on his way.”

Fox concurs there are striking parallels between Terry’s Marathon of Hope and what people worldwide are going through with the pandemic, which has certainly proven a marathon, not a sprint.

“That’s how our family has gotten through this, by using Terry’s memory. Terry took one day and one step at a time. In the book Terry and Me, there’s a point where Doug (Alward), a runner himself, was training for provincials and Terry called him the night before to remind him to take one step at at time. That’s what people can take away. Try like Terry.”

Registration for the 2021 Terry Fox Run in your local community officially opens Monday, April 12 at www.terryfox.ca. The nationwide event is currently scheduled for Sept. 19.