Every year of highschool, we ran the Terry Fox run, starting with a lap on the exact same field that Terry Fox ran on when he was a high school student. And at the assembly prior to the run, the gym humming so quite you could hear a pin drop, one of our academic councellors Mr Chambers told the impactful story of how he walked side by side with Terry Fox on our school track after a morning of running practice, in pain, with his prosthetic. As his statue now stands boldy and strongly outside of Terry Fox Secondary, his name symbolizes so much more than a fighter. His name represents someone who chose strength in the face of great adversity, and used the pain to not only tell a story, but to ignite global impact.

And this is just one story.

In 1980, my grandmother (pictured top right) passed away from blood cancer, leaving her children and my grandfather, including my dad who was just 8 years old. This event caused pain not only in his family, having to grow up with 7 other siblings, but continues to represent a piece missing in all of our hearts. I have never gotten to meet my grandmother, but her spirit and strength emulates in my heart everyday, through stories I hear of her. 

With nearly half of Canadians expected to be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, I’m more determined than ever to help change the future of this disease. My family and friends could be affected and that makes it personal.

Please help me reach my fundraising goal for Relay For Life. It doesn’t matter how small the step, it makes a difference. Not only for those living with cancer now, but for those remembering and honouring those we’ve lost. A donation of $25, $50 or $100 could help make sure a team of researchers has the resources they need to make a life-saving discovery or a patient has access to support services when they need it most.

Think about the impact we can make together!