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p-j 8-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, Auguat 28, 2001 487 Laurier Ave. «à882ýM'eâ Young cancer survivor set to ride for cure By FANNIE SUNSHINE The Champion <jteven Anderson wasn't sup- posed to be able to ride a bicy- cle. At the tender age of tbree, the toddler was diagnosed with Medullablatoma, a forni of brain cancer. For the next year-and-a-half, Steven under- went weekly chemotberapy and 60 radiation treatonents at Hamilton's McMaster Hospital. Two apricot-sized turnors were removed from the base of bis skuil. Corne December, Steven will be a I-year cancer survivor. Each year, Tenry Fox Run organizers in Milton look for a cancer turvivor to set as Tenry's Teammate. This year, Steven will becorne tbe first teenag- er to take the pott. 'I thougbt about it and then 1 agreed (to be Terry's Teammate) because I've had cancer and 1 hope no one else will have cancer," the soft- spoken 14-year-old said, addmng this wilI be his tirst Urne participating in thse rn. Steven wiil ride it bike alongside bis Ottawa- based special needs worker. As Terry 's r Tmae he's also been.given thse honour of starting thse mn witb a ribbon-cutting ceremony. "Wben be was going tbrougb tise radiation treatments be had to wear a rnask and ail you could'see were is eyes and nose," Steven't father Peter Anderson recailed. "Sesame Street mnusic was played during tise treatrnents to toy to get Steven to focus on something else." Recently Steven began to leam about Teny Fox, wbo was diagnosed with osteogenic tarco- ma (bone cancer) and eventuaily bad bis right leg amputated six inches ahove the knee in 1977. In 1980, at thse age of 22, Mr. Fox decided to non across Canada in bopes of raising funds for cancer awareness. Ris joumney was called the Marathon of Hope. Tenry Fox died in 1981 after cancer reswfaced in is lungs. So far, Steven bas collected $200 ini pledges. "We talked it over witb Steven and he said he wanted to be part of tbe rmn, so we allowed hion * to do this," said Joyce Anderson, Steven's motis- * er. * We let hirn watch rnovies about Terry Fox so * he knew what this mun was about and he said he would like to belp raise rnoney for cancer research." T'hc treatont Steven wcnt through years ago bas Ieft bis right side stronger than is lcft, bis parents explained. "He uscd to be Ieft bandcd and now he's rigbt hLnded," Mr. Anderson said, laughing. "He lost a lot of thse body's radio control." But even thougb he migbt not bave full ability witb bis lefs ann, that hasn't stopped the teenag- er frorn earning a blue beit in jiu-jitsu and Ieam- mng how to play the piano. Not bad for someone who doctors expected neyer to be able to walk. "The doctors didn't tbink Steven would be able to ridesa bike witbout training wheels," Mr. Anderson said, adding bis son taught bimself how to ride witbout tbe extra support tbree years ago. "Tbat's wby he wants to ride bis bike in tbe race." Except for yearly check-ups and an MRI scan every three years, Steven is living the life of a typical teenager. He even spends two weeks of the summer at Camp TriIlium, an overnigbt camp for cancer survivors and their farnilies. "This shows you can really do somnetbing (rid- mng bis bike) even when people said you could- n't do somnething," he said. Kim Thornas, who annually organizes tise local Teny Fox Run with ber husband Craig, said tse met Steven 's parents in 1991 when she and her husisand belonged to Parents of Children With Cancer, a support group for families. Their daugister Jennifer had suffered trom Leukemia and was Tenry's Teammate in 1993. "We asked Steven and parents if he wanted to be Tenry's Teammate tiis year," she said. 4"We wanted someone wbo could belp others. It's really a selfless act," ln contrstto10fust-trnse participant Steven, Sparky Maloney bas yet to m-iss the Tenry Fox Run. The 74-year-old, wbo resides at Allendale long-term-care faciity, made sure he participat- ed in every Teny Fox Run since 1980. "He started 10 mun witb bis son just before thse Terry Fox Run (began)," said bis wife Catherine. "He felt better wisen be rmn.", Over 20Oyears, Mr. Maloney participated in 30 races tbroughout Canada, including marathons in Toronto. "Last year was the tirst time be had to. use a wbeelchajr in tise Terry Fox Run," Ms Maloney said, adding ber husband suffers from lou Gehrig's disease. Asking if the reason Mr. Maloney participated religiously in tbe rmns was due to a bistory of cancer in thse family, Ms Maloney sbook her head. "It was hecause of bis love of running and isecause be tbought he could do sometising to help the cause. No matter where he was in September, ise made sure to attend Terry's mun." Participating in the Terry Fox Run was a fam- ily affair for the Maloncys. Mr. Maloney's brother, Mickey, also ran in every race since 1980. He passcd away in May. If he's up to it corne September, Mr. Maloney's son agreed to push bis dad in bis wbeelcbair during the Terry Fox Run in Milton; "I know it would upset hion if he missed the race," Ms Maloney said. "I'm so proud of bim. My neighbours cali me and say they can stili see Sparky munning by." Last year, tbe Terry Fox Run in Milton maised $39,165, placing tise town in the top 20 contrib- utors in Ontario. 'The goal for tbis year is to mise $40,000. The rmn will take place September 16 on the grounds of E.C. Dm.ry High Scisool from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The rmn wiil feature two routes, one for walk- ers, munners and persons in wiseelcbairs and one for bikers and roilerbladders. The walking course wiil wind its way around the woods on thse scbool grounds. To complebe the 10-kmn distance, participants will bave to travel four times around tise course. For tisose wbo cboose to bike or blade, partic- ipants wiIl have to travel six tirnes around tise route 10 complete tise 1 0-kmn distance. Eighty-nine cents of every dollar raised from the mun wiIl go toward cancer research. Pledgc forms are available ai local banks and drug stores. Terry Fox wear wiIl be available for sale at the Farmners' Market Ibis Saturday and September 8, and on mun day. For more information, caîl (905) 878-1206 or visit www.terryfoxrun.org. ((O ))CO GCOGECO 14 Programming Schedule - Aug. 28th - Sept. 3rd, 2001. i ABL S T0N ýSm, 10., Ilia, No. Pdlu! 981 Sam 1.., 11u% No..Pud hi!m, 10em, il., N.. Pudlm! SoN14 11 lu Nom Fid à! 1.i. 7~.5p,m p mRu lm! 51,%Opa pkww b! SpaO4m A7M30M bl! Spa, 6m A7.30np. dlui *Eut W.k Ekm bIo.*EaWdenMu-L* WkEll.E* auN www.cogebco.ca Si30pu " Cmlà htc J. 53Oi. "l M p fa mou L"mkI T b hm... ScJ1. AEvmy kOM E nu" . EmNog eUlpa mm" y" NORTH RALTON STUDIO m&mllu Tlb$uj Nrom dw 7914a Ci Odu l m mo. kUlma *muok 21 Main Street North, hm là- Actoçi, ON L7J 1V9 (519) 8534700 FUef t liswoek: Feigua HlghkaxlGOew atSTuesday 6:30 PM pq