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G - The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, September 5, 2000 *(!tMampwn Letflowers brighten your day h 487 Launer Ave. 8702881 ~Raspberry's courage makes her perfect candidate to serve as Terry 's Teammate By IRENE GENTLE The Champion I t has been 20 years since Terry Fox emblazoned his name across the Canadian Iandscape through his Marathon of Hope. ~And nine years pnor to tisat cross-Canada jag, Mutons Sheila Raspberry Ions her leg to cancer. Sise was 23 at the time. "My knee jusî botisered me," recalled Ms Raspberry, who wiIl act as the Terry's Teammate for tisis year's fundraising non. "One moming I got up and couldn't put any wcigist on j'." In short order, she was diagnooed witis Osteogenic Sarcoma, or bone cancer - tise same cancer which would take Terry's life in 1981. 'Tisis was tumour, a gmwth on tise bone," said Ms Raspberry. 'Tise only cure was removing my leg." MiIIon's Terry Fox Run wiII take place Sunday, Sept. 17 froro 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at E.C. Drury Higis Scisool. Openîng ceremonies and a warm-up will begrn at 10 a.m. and the event will be followed hy a barbecue by Quality Greens, a DJ, live band, face-painting for kids and loada of prizes. Last year, the event raïsed $37,000, placinge Milton in tise top 20 of Ontario contributors. Pledge forma are now avouable St banko and drug stores. And volunteer clowns, cisildren's entertainers and face painters are needed. If mterested, cail Kim or Craig Thomas at 878- 1206. After Ms Raspiserry's operation, aise fougbt b cope witis tise bas. "I tisougist 'Oh, my God, my life us over.' But I knew us isad to ise done," aaid Ms Raspbeny. "It was tise only way to save my life. You just fig- ure you isave to pick up tise pieces and see wbat isappena." Wisat isappened to Ms Raspberry is wisat isap- pens to most of us, if we're lucky enougis. Sise met and mamed a man named Steve soon after tise operation. Tisey've been sogesiser 27 years now. "He isas known me no otiser way," said Ms Raspbeny. "I know ise married me because ise loved me." Togetiser tbcy raised a son and a daugbter, Kale, 22, and Kristen, 21. In between, Ms Raapberry dedicated ber time to belping out various cisarities, community Photo by GRAHAM PAINE Sheila Raspberry, who bat her Ieg 10 cancer, has been chosen as Terry'a Teammate for MiIton'a Terry Fox Run September 17. events and organizations, sucis as tise Milton Distrtct Hospital Auxiliary, tise Milton Fail Fair, Girl Guides and Curling for Cancer. Despite this, aise was sbocked wben tise cail came in Irom Terry'Fox Run organizers request- ing tbat sise be tisis year's tears member - or local face promoting tise event. "My firat tisougbt was tisere bas 10 be someone more deoerving," sise saîd. If Ms Raspberry bas managed 10 make tise most of ber yeara since tise operation by living well, ber removed leg may also bave done some good. "Tisey sent patta of my leg aIl over tise world for researcis," aise aaid. At tbat time, Ms Raspberry left tise boapital witb a prostisesis tirmly in place. But today obes more comfortable juat banging out on crutches. "I juat find it easier," aise aaid. That means aise oflen lindo beracîf an object of fascination for cbildren, wbo may nos bave seen a one-legged woman breezily wbizzing by tbem before. "I don't sisy away from going out and it opens a lot of people's eyes," aaid Ma Raspberry. "Some of tise kids are really funny and otisers juat stand back." Eitiser way, aise tries to make tbem feel more comfortable. "If tisey're old enougis t explain t bad cancer," said Mo Raspberry. "If tbey arent, Ijuot aay my leg 801 sick and tbey couldn't make me better witbout removing it." To Ibis day, Ms Raapberry isn't sure what cauaed tise cancer to form in tbc tirat place. But aise Ibinko if abe were diagnosed in today's climate of increaaed knowledge, sbe'd atili bave ber leg. "Apparently tbey do bone grafts now, tisey d~n't remove tbe limis," sise said. "Tisey've come a long way in 29 years." Since tbat time, Ms Raspberry bas twîce bad malignant tumoura in tise amaîl of ber back removed. And 10 tisia day, she strugglea witb pbantom pain in tbe limis tisat basn't been tisere for close to tbree decades. "Tise tiraI time I bad is, I freakcd," said Ma Raspberry. "You always bave tise aenaation of tise foot being tiscre." To date, tise Terry Fox Run bas raised $250 million for cancer researcis world-wide. Tise funda are diatributed by tise National Cancer Institute of Canada. COGECO 14 Programming Schedule - September 5th, 2000 September llth, 2000 * S OOam Otan 800cr P n l0arr Otan, Star PI nI t0arr, Otan, Noon P ni I t0~n, Otan, Noon PI n1 Erat on Eranre Enraie ~ ~ 530 630 730 Paget n 530 6.30,7 30an PIuge6 ~ 530, 6:30, 0:3tpn PIug n1 5:30.6:30,0:30 Pioge loi I / 600 Hans UP OCO 6 00~n C~8 n Classions 6:00~rr Waeralooso 6 6 ttpri Lai Edge ww'~,.cogeco.ca 700 War Pt S t 0 r 700~n Ooarrlaharth 800 MIn Sirbas Cor t~ 800~rr Mitre Conseil, 800ss2No 7.00 Moneywnek 000 The Issue s. Actas 800 Fergus 8 Iand 8:00 T~ nouncet 21 Main Street Nnrth tanes airoo ton, ON L7J tV9 519-853-1270, on 853-4700 Feature this week:MiIton Ambassador Competition - Tuesday, 8 pm u