Inspirational. Fascinating. Engaging.
That’s how I would describe my experience from Thursday through Saturday.
The Terry Fox Research Institute brought together 139 passionate individuals from across Canada—nine provinces and 45 institutions—including scientists, principal investigators, pathologists, oncologists, biobank managers, data specialists, lawyers, patients, and more. Together, we delved into the present and future of precision oncology—what’s currently extending my life, and what holds promise to save many more in the future.
I was truly honoured to share parts of my story with 138 others committed to changing the face of cancer care in Canada.
Over those days, I experienced a wide spectrum of emotions:
- Laughter: Who knew discussions about Data Ingestion, Sharing, and Access could be so engaging? Thanks to brilliant panellists with a great sense of humour, even the driest topics (I hope my friends don’t take that the wrong way!) became memorable.
- Tears: Listening to stories of the challenges faced by cancer patients is difficult, but it underscores the importance of the work being done by the “Team Canada of Cancer Research”. The resilience of patients, and the legacy of Terry Fox, continues to inspire me.
- Deep emotion: His recounting of biking 7,000 km along Terry’s route—alongside a team of eight cyclists—initially felt like a reconnaissance mission, a chance to understand how Terry accomplished it all. But instead, it left him with even more questions than answers, a profound sense of admiration, love, and reverence for Terry’s relentless spirit and the legacy he left behind. The collective memory of Terry’s journey and Darrell’s emotional ride struck a chord; you could feel it in the room—as quiet as the room fell, and as heartfelt as it was powerful.
- Excitement: The energy in the room was palpable. Ideas were flowing, deep, thoughtful, and important questions were asked—questions that remind us if we had all the answers, this would have been solved long ago. It’s these quality questions that keep the wheels of research turning. Collaboration ignited new possibilities.
- Hope: It was inspiring to see that not only the patients, but everyone present, shares hope for what the future holds. Our collective efforts are truly accelerating progress in precision oncology.
While the journey hasn’t been easy, and challenges remain, we’re moving the needle faster than ever before. As Terry Fox once said: “Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you thought you couldn’t.”
A heartfelt thank you to the Terry Fox Foundation, the Terry Fox Research Institute, the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network, and especially the Fox Family. Your focus, resilience, and strength inspire us all.
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And as always, I invite you to consider giving me a gift of hope — to help support the life of a single mom living on a fixed disability income. Every little bit helps and makes a meaningful difference.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you’ll join me in continuing this vital work. Together, let’s Finish It for Terry!
Here are a few photos from these inspirational sessions.
