Betty Lou Fox (née Wark; November 15, 1937 – June 17, 2011) was a Canadian cancer research

activist Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...

, the mother of

Terry Fox Terrance Stanley Fox (July 28, 1958 June 28, 1981) was a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist. In 1980, with one leg having been amputated due to cancer, he embarked on an east-to-west cross-Canada run to raise money ...

and founder of the

Terry Fox Foundation The Terry Fox Run is an annual non-competitive charity event held around the world to raise money for cancer research in commemoration of Canadian cancer activist Terry Fox and his Marathon of Hope. The event was founded in 1981 by Isadore Sharp ...

. She was the most prominent figure in Terry Fox's legacy.

Biography

Fox was born in Boissevain, Manitoba, on November 15, 1937. She was raised in

Melita, Manitoba Melita () is a town located in the south-western corner of the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is surrounded by the Municipality of Two Borders and occupies a bend of the Souris River. Graham Creek runs along the west side of town and into ...

, and in her teens moved to

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

, where she met her husband Rolland "Rolly" Fox, who was working for the

Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN i ...

. They married in 1956. The Foxes had four children: sons Fred (born 1957), Terry (1958), and Darrell (1961), and daughter Judith (1965). In 1966 the family moved to

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, making

Port Coquitlam Port Coquitlam ( ) is a city in British Columbia, Canada. Located east of Vancouver, it is on the north bank of the confluence of the Fraser River and the Pitt River. Coquitlam borders it on the north, the Coquitlam River borders it on the west, ...

their home. In March 1977, Terry was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma, and his right leg was amputated above the knee.

Marathon of Hope

Terry Fox expressed to his mother his wish to raise awareness and funds for cancer research. He began the Marathon of Hope on April 12, 1980, which was a run across Canada from

St. John's, Newfoundland St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. The city spans and is the easternmost city in North America ...

, to

Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. Th ...

, to raise money for cancer research. He reached over 143 days before finding the cancer had spread to his lungs. This forced him to end his run on September 1, 1980, 2/3 of the way across Canada, just before reaching Thunder Bay, ON. Immediately, support to continue his cause came from across the country and overseas. He died on June 28, 1981.

Terry Fox Run and Foundation

With so much public attention on his cause and his death, Betty Fox found no time to grieve as her support for her son continued. She took on the development of the

Terry Fox Run The Terry Fox Run is an annual non-competitive charity event held around the world to raise money for cancer research in commemoration of Canadian cancer activist Terry Fox and his Marathon of Hope. The event was founded in 1981 by Isadore Shar ...

with the

Canadian Cancer Society The Canadian Cancer Society (french: Société canadienne du cancer) is Canada's largest national cancer charity and the largest national charitable funder of cancer research in Canada. History The idea to form the Canadian Cancer Society origin ...

. In 1988, The Terry Fox Foundation became its own charitable organization. Fox took the lead on many parts of the run and the foundation, ensuring Terry's wishes and goals were reflected in the run's organization. "It is estimated that Betty spoke to more than 400,000 school children alone during her 25 years of touring the country, leaving each and every child with the inspirational story of the Marathon of Hope. The final words of every speech, "Never, ever give up on your dreams," have become her hallmark." Fox was selected to be one of the Olympic flag-bearers in the opening ceremonies of the

Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics )'' , nations = 82 , athletes = 2,626 , events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = February 12, 2010 , closing = February 28, 2010 , opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean , cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...

. One month later on March 12, 2010, Fox and her husband Rolly carried the Paralympic Torch into the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Paralympic Games, after a whole segment of those ceremonies were dedicated to their son Terry.

Death

Fox died June 17, 2011, due to complications from

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

and

arthritis Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In som ...

. She was survived by her husband, three children, and nine grandchildren. Her memorial was held in Port Coquitlam, at the same church where Terry's memorial was held 30 years previously, almost to the day. It was attended by dignitaries including former Vancouver 2010 Olympic Committee CEO John Furlong and British Columbia Premier

Christy Clark Christina Joan Clark (born October 29, 1965) is a former Canadian politician who was the 35th premier of British Columbia (BC), from 2011 to 2017. Clark was the second woman to be premier of BC, after Rita Johnston in 1991, and the first female ...

, among others. So many turned out for the funeral that the city opened the civic recreation centre to the public, where the memorial was broadcast live. Her death made headlines across North America. Her husband Rolland died of

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...

on March 9, 2016.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fox, Betty 1937 births 2011 deaths Canadian people of Métis descent Canadian women activists Deaths from diabetes People from Boissevain, Manitoba People from Port Coquitlam People from Winnipeg Terry Fox