2017-06-07 Wed

The sixth stamp in the Canada 150 10-stamp series features Terry Fox, a 22-year-old Canadian cancer victim who participated in the Marathon of Hope on 12th April 1980 with his artificial leg in the Atlantic Ocean. He won the hearts of many with his undying spirit. The maple-leaf-shaped stamp was unveiled on 25th May at City Hall in St. John’s. All stamps of this series were released on 1st June.

Terry Fox was diagnosed with bone cancer when he was 18 years old. Most of his right leg had to be amputated. He wanted to do something special for cancer patients, especially children and decided to embark on his personal Marathon of Hope. He wanted to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. He almost ran a full marathon but had to stop in Thunder Bay, Ont., when his cancer spread. Fox died at age 22 in 1981 but the annual Terry Fox run has raised more than $700 million.