How tall was terry fox

As weeks and then months passed, the pain, instead of subsiding, became more and more difficult to bear. A general practitioner recommended that he consult a specialist, but on 3 March , before his scheduled appointment, his father brought him to the emergency department of a hospital because the throbbing pain was too much to endure.

The result was unexpected. Instead of a torn ligament, which Fox had thought was the problem, the examination revealed a malignant tumour. He was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma, a rare type of cancer relatively more likely to develop in young males than in young females. In the late s the treatment was amputation, followed by chemotherapy to ensure that there was no propagation of cancerous cells.

On 9 March, less than a week after the diagnosis, he underwent surgery. He quickly got used to his crutches and received physiotherapy in order to become accustomed to walking with a prosthetic leg.

He progressed well, returning to his studies and taking part in sports soon after his operation. In the summer of Fox was contacted by wheelchair athlete Richard Marvin Rick Hansen, who asked him to join his wheelchair-basketball team. Hansen had been active in the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association and encouraged Fox to make good use of his time in a wheelchair.

At first Fox hesitated: he knew his competitive nature, and he worried that failure would lead him into deep disappointment. Yet he agreed to attend the tryouts, and made the team. He played in basketball tournaments while receiving chemotherapy, and his team won three national titles. The first time he was ever mentioned in a newspaper was on 7 May in the Vancouver Sun , where his role in the victory was acknowledged. The 16 months of chemotherapy at the British Columbia Cancer Control Agency, where Fox had been required to go every three weeks, were more difficult to endure than learning to walk again.

Worse, according to him, was his stay in the cancer clinic, an experience that marked him significantly. Although he was given much hope concerning his chances of survival, he saw many young children whose cases were more serious than his and who had little or no chance of recovery. During his time at the clinic Fox became aware of the plight of cancer victims and the need to find cures for the various forms of the disease.

In the s cancer research had already made some great advances, and Fox was told that the survival rate for the type of cancer from which he suffered had increased from 15 per cent in two years before his diagnosis to 50 per cent or more at the time of his treatment.

He understood this statement to mean that the more research was undertaken, the closer doctors would come to finding a cure. Yet despite certain progress, funding was scarce and researchers often moved to other fields even though cancer, after heart disease, had been the second leading cause of death in Canada for both men and women since the s.

This inspirational story, combined with his difficult experience in the cancer clinic, gave Fox the idea of running across Canada to collect funds for cancer research.

In early he started training on his own, keeping track of his distances and his caloric intake, as well as his university assignments, in a daily journal. For practice he entered the Labour Day Classic, a marathon in Prince George, hoping to cover half of the distance. He finished last, but completed the full course. He continued to train every day and a few weeks later he began to tell his friends and family about his intention of running across Canada. Although his mother initially balked at the proposal, his friend Alward readily agreed to accompany him on the journey.

They quickly reached the understanding that Fox would run and Alward would drive, cook, clean, take care of media relations, and make plans for fund-raising. He had, however, never achieved more than 37 kilometres per day in his training. On 15 Oct. Fox gave a few interviews before the marathon began. A few local journalists reported on his departure. Fox gradually garnered support for his cause during his run through Newfoundland, which he completed by 6 May, but his reception in the other Atlantic provinces varied considerably from one place to another.

The Canadian media was slow to take up his story. Indeed, the launch of the marathon, although mentioned in many newspapers, was mostly buried in the middle pages and not much information was included. The Toronto Star was an exception, assigning a reporter, Leslie Scrivener, who provided weekly reports, almost from the beginning of the marathon.

On occasion, people lined up along the side of the road to cheer him on, and some families welcomed both Fox and Alward into their homes, providing meals and a place to shower and sleep, but in other instances Fox would arrive in towns that were wholly unprepared or even unaware of his visit. Since provincial CCS offices could decide whether or not to assist him, the backing was uneven, as he noted in his journal. For example, there were plenty of receptions and related activities and many people encouraged him throughout his run in Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island 24 May to 27 May , and New Brunswick 27 May to 10 June.

The successful fund-raising campaign in Channel—Port aux Basques, Nfld, had inspired Fox to increase his expectations for the Marathon of Hope. However, little was done in Nova Scotia 7 to 24 May or Quebec 10 to 28 June , because the CCS organizations there had decided not to promote the marathon or at least did not pressure local staff to organize events.

Furthermore, although it may have been up to the local CSS offices to arrange activities, it had been understood during the planning stages that Alward was responsible for ensuring that the local media was aware of his arrival. Poor attendance at some events created tension between the two young men, both eager for the success of the marathon but lacking experience and support in handling public relations and the media.

Added to these challenges were the many physical problems Fox endured: painful blisters, falling toenails, a bleeding and aching stump, and mechanical issues with his artificial leg, which was not made to withstand the stress he was exerting on it.

According to Astrologers, Terry Fox's zodiac sign is Leo. Apart from the rest days in Montreal taken at the request of the Cancer Society, he refused to take a day off, even on his 22nd birthday. He frequently suffered shin splints and an inflamed knee. He developed cysts on his stump and experienced dizzy spells. At one point, he suffered a soreness in his ankle that would not go away.

Although he feared he had developed a stress fracture, he ran for three more days before seeking medical attention, and was then relieved to learn it was tendonitis and could be treated with painkillers. Fox rejected calls for him to seek regular medical checkups, and dismissed suggestions he was risking his future health.

He grew up with an older brother named Fred and younger siblings named Darrell and Judith. Rolland was a switchman for the Canadian National Railway. Fox had an elder brother, Fred, a younger brother, Darrell, and a younger sister, Judith. In , with one leg having been amputated due to cancer, he embarked on an east to west cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research.

Although the spread of his cancer eventually forced him to end his quest after days and 5, kilometres 3, mi , and ultimately cost him his life, his efforts resulted in a lasting, worldwide legacy.

His parents were dedicated to their family, and his mother was especially protective of her children; it was through her that Fox developed his stubborn dedication to whatever task he committed to do.

His father recalled that he was extremely competitive, noting that Fox hated to lose so much that he would continue at any activity until he succeeded. On November 12, , as Fox was driving to the family home at Morrill Street in Port Coquitlam, he became distracted by nearby bridge construction, and crashed into the back of a pickup truck.

While his car was left undriveable, Fox emerged with only a sore right knee. He again felt pain in December, but chose to ignore it until the end of basketball season. By March , the pain had intensified and he finally went to a hospital, where he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of cancer that often starts near the knees.

Fox believed his car accident weakened his knee and left it vulnerable to the disease, though his doctors argued there was no connection. He was told that his leg had to be amputated, he would require chemotherapy treatment, and that recent medical advances meant he had a percent chance of survival. Fox learned that two years before, the figure would have been only 15 percent; the improvement in survival rates impressed on him the value of cancer research.

His right leg was amputated in after he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, though he continued to run using an artificial leg. On September 1st, after days and 5, kilometres 3, miles , Terry was forced to stop running outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario. The only thing that could have stopped him did: cancer had appeared in his lungs. Terry died on June 28, at the age This bold and courageous Canadian was gone, but his legacy was just beginning. Terry's Story. Download his story. See the full map.

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