The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

_-i',,':',:" Mothed death inspires local gwoman to pick up a new habit A, l pound lhc puvumcnl around Bechtel Park. Ill he raising muncy for cancer rvwarch through the annual fun; box Run - again, nut particularly n-nulrkahlu giwn the millions that have been miwd over the past 20- odd years by hundreds of thousands of people. Its Sunday, I'm going I to run ll] km - which may not sound all that remarkably to many 'iea- sorted munch whu do it Cer',- ulauly And if f start to gel tired or feel the pain in the left hamstring I've had to wrap in a hen-sot for the past [WU weeks. I'll hear my mom cheering me on __-- which again. may um sound extra- ordinary, given that good parents support their chil- dren in this kind of endeavor all the time. To find any of these things extraordinary, you'd have to know a couple of other things. Like the fact that I was a moderate to heavy smoker for close lo 20 years. right up until seven weeks ago. And like the fact that my biggest "cheer- leader." my Mom. passed away on July 19 after a long and courageous battle with the health effects of smoking f0r30 years. When my mother was diagnosed with bladder can- cer 12 years ago. you'd think N have had the common sense to quite smoking right then and there -- if not with the diagnosis. then when I saw her come am of recov- ery after a l2-hour-plus operation that was supposed to have lasted only hall that long. Instead. I can remem- her leaving my father pacing a hole in the carpet in the waiting room at Grand River llosgilal while I wcnl for a ems e. I remember thinking. "I'll quit eventually r but not right now. I have In gm Ihrnugh this family crisis first."Butthcrtthvrc was always a family crisis or it wedding or a vacation In [My 2002, Mom 11nd” wrnl heart valvr n-plau- BYTImnr Mnumn' Nu thet 1trtrnicltr Watching her mother struggle with cancer inspired Tracy Morency to quit smoking and start training for the 2004 Terry Fox Run. to be held this Sunday at Bechtel Park. ment surgery in Toronto. Sometime during surgery or recovery. she suffered a stroke. There were times when we were convinced she just wasn't going to make it, But she fought like only my mother could, through months of recovery and rehab at Freeport, and finally came home in November. I lost count of the num- ber of times that Mom told me. "I wish you could quit smoking. honey. I” can do it, so can you." Just so that I could reply with something like. "I wish I could, loo. Mtom. 1 really do." Truth is, I really didn't want to quit. I was heavy as a kid and endured the ridicule and taunts of "fatty four eyes" for years before I start- ed smoking at 15 as a way of crmtrolling my weight. ’lWenly years later, l was still more worm-d about gaining wl’ighl than faring cancer nr lwarl diwaw, Besides. every time I'd (lull hrlnro. l was just plain r1asty, Mom wu-nl hark into the hospital nn June 28. for what LIFESTYLE would have been minor surgery -- if only she hadn't been weak from her heart surgery in 2002 and if only her insides werent so cov- ered in scar tissue from the previous surgeries- all of which had been brought on by smoking. My sisters and I were all called to the hospital before the operation. m that we could see Mom "just in case" she didrft come out of the surgery. She did come out of surgery with flying colours __ only in crash 24 hours later into a sum- from which she m-wr rerovrrvd. My epiphany came in“! In days before Mom died, I left the inn'nsiw care unit "My epiphany came just JO days before Mom died. " -- Tracy Mercury Terry Fist Run participant on a Wednesday night, knowing in my heart that I didnt want to die that way _ and that I didnt ever want my kids to see me the way I'd just seen my own mom. I threw the cigarette I'd lit out of habit out the car window as I drove up King Street. I'd been four days with, out a cigarette when I got the call from my sister. The one about meeting at the hospi- tal so that we could decide as a family whether or not to continue to Mom's life sup- I lasted until 10:30 pm. -- just 20 minutes before Mom died v before I broke down and smoked a cigarette. All day long, well-meaning friends had asked me if I'd considered that, given the stress I was under. "maybe now isn't the best time to quit?" and that I needed to be "gentle" with myself over the next few days. So I made a deal with mywlf _- and with my mom, I death-d that "cheating" to gm through that week of the Continued on page " AND!“ “My mm) The morning begins are 9:30 a.m. at St.Narky, Lutheran Church. 875 King fit. W, Kitchener. with speaker Dr, Ian Wilson, a local pudialrician. For more information, call 8fk5-4Gfl9 The Canadian Celiac Association is holding a gen- eral meeting this Saturday, offering educational mate- rial and product information for those diagnosed with Celiac disease. Located at 139 Father David Bauer Dr. in Waterloo, the sale will feature collectibles, household items. small appliances and much more, - _ procUeds from the sale go to the Betty Thompson Youth Centre. The sale runs from 9 am lo noon. Come search for a bargain this Saturday at the Luther Village on the Park Founder's Iray giant garage sale. The Region of Waterloo will host a fall Compost Giveaway Day this Saturday from 7 a.m. gr) 3 pm; , _ Regional residents can receive up to five bushels of compost per household. while quantities last. Resi- dents must bring their own shoveLs and containers to the Waterloo landfill, located at925 Erh St, W, The giveaway will also feature a food drive, hosted by the Food Bank ofWaterloo Region. _ Regional residents are invited to contribute non- perishable food items or cash donations. . Compost is a rich organic soil amendment pro- duced from leaves and yard waste collected in the region. ' - - - "rhe region's' compost has been tested to meet provincial regulttions am! screened of debris. - Please ndie that no backyard composers or rain, barrels will he distributed at this compost giveaway. Step back in time and take part in a 1914 fall fair at Donn Heritage Crossroads this Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 phl. Enjoy the musical entertainment, take in the fair exhibits, watch the sheep dog demonstrations, have a horse drawn wagon ride and spend some time visiting with the villagers and farmers. Set in the%tumn admidst the blazing colours and cool. crisp air, fall fairs were an important event to the rural community, - II was the culmination of a year's worth of effort. the best of the best was ready for the competition, Musical entertainment. the penny rarhiva) and the display of fair entries made it a ipecial CvCrtt for every one in the community. Call 74849” for entry rules for ctrmpetitions in baking, produce and crafts. Dunn will hr accepting entries this Salurday from l to 4 p m and Sunday from9to l0 mm. Celiac association holds general meeting Foundes Day garage sale this Saturday Compost giveaway at Waterloo landfill site Enjoy 1914 fall fair