An annual cancer awareness event has taken on a new meaning after having its name changed to honour a high school student who died from the disease this summer.
Brooks Secondary School’s teachers and students gathered outside for the start of the Jasper Mohan Terry Fox Memorial Run, a three-kilometre jog or walk around Townsite, Thursday, October 10.
“We’ve always had a Terry Fox Run, but now the school will make this an annual event in Jasper’s memory,” said Brooks principal Kathy Rothwell.
It was three months to the day since 14-year-old Jasper died from brain and spinal cancer. His parents Stephen and Barbra Mohan attended the event and were welcomed with applause by the crowd gathered outside the school gymnasium.
“Jasper was a big supporter of the Terry Fox Run,” said Barbra. “From about the time he was in grade four, he realized that he had a cancer history and the reason he was alive was largely to do with advances in research.”
As an infant Jasper battled the disease and beat it, only to have it return in late 2011.
Over the years, Jasper regularly participated in the runs held at his elementary school and even won a few times, despite the event not being a race, said Barbra.
Weak from recent chemotherapy treatment but on the road to recovery, Jasper, wearing his red Terry Fox cancer survivor T-shirt, walked the community Terry Fox Run held at Powell River Recreation Complex last year.
“It was very important to him,” she added. “I think he’d be pleased that this was dedicated to him.”
The annual charity run created to raise money for cancer research was first run in 1981 and is a commemoration of cancer activist Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope. Close to $600 million has been raised since its start and many advancements have been made in cancer treatments. Jasper’s mother is concerned that despite these breakthroughs, pediatric cancer treatment is lagging behind and more money needs to go into finding new treatments for children with cancer.
“We saw, being in the system, there’s a real gap in the amount of research dollars that go to pediatric treatments,” said Barbra. “When you fund pediatric research, it affects adult treatments, but the reverse isn’t true.”
Barbra noted that the chemotherapy drugs Jasper used as an infant were the same as the ones he used in his recent battle.
“Small children tend to do well, but teenagers really struggle and don’t have as good outcomes, and the treatments cause long-standing health problems,” she added. “It’s really important that this kind of run and fundraising continues because they really need it.”
Rothwell said the school had the goal of raising $1,000 and had already received $300 in community support.
Brooks vice-principal Rod Perrault said that because Jasper had died in the summer, the students wanted to do something as a tribute to him. Teacher Ken Holley suggested renaming the run and it was welcomed by the students, said Perrault.
“A lot of students wanted to come out this year,” said Perrault. “There’s been a lot of enthusiasm.”
Jasper’s best friend and Brooks classmate Zach Franske carried a special reminder, Jasper’s school binder, as he made his way over the three kilometres.
“To have a Terry Fox run every year for him is a great honour,” said Zach. “It’s really great to know that so many people at the school cared for him.”
