Vancouver Island teacher’s connection to Terry Fox sparks fundraising fire in students

A teacher on Vancouver Island who survived childhood cancer has a personal connection to the annual Terry Fox Run.

Kelly Nyhan teaches Grade 7 at Monterey Middle School and spoke at an assembly Thursday celebrating students’ fundraising efforts. And he started by sharing his story.

“I have a hard time talking about Terry,” said Nyhan as he fought back tears. “It chokes me up.”

When Nyhan was 12, doctors found a tumour in his kidney. While in the hospital for treatment he passed another boy who was older than him but caught his attention due to his prosthetic leg.

“That was Terry Fox, I actually saw him on the same ward in 1977,” Nyhan said.

In 1980 Fox embarked on his Marathon of Hope attempting to run across Canada to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Halfway through that run Fox’s cancer returned ultimately taking his life.

Nyhan is grateful he survived and has never forgotten the glimpse he caught of the Canadian icon at the hospital and seeks to honour Fox’s legacy by encouraging students to fundraise.

The student at the school who raised the most money this year has a personal connection to the disease. Penelope Kirkland, who ins in Grade 8, brought in $1,205.

“My grandpa had cancer and suffered from it for a long time and sadly he did not defeat it,” she told CTV News.

In just six weeks, the students at the school have raised a total of $22,331 for the Terry Fox Run.

“It’s remarkable,” said principal Christopher Macintosh. “I’m hearing it’s probably the top in the province.”

The students won’t find out officially if they are indeed the top-grossing school in B.C. until January

Regardless, Macintosh says he couldn’t be more proud of what his students have accomplished this year.

“That is a lot of money for a school of about 400 students,” he said.

At the special assembly a few staff members and one student shaved their heads.

Nyhan, who didn’t really have hair to lose, got his entire head bejewelled by students.

“I look ridiculous,” said the teacher, who explained he promised to let them bedazzle his head if they raised more than $20,000

He says the school’s fundraising campaign fundamentally represents a teachable moment for the students.

“It builds global citizenship and it builds an awareness that they can make a difference in the world,” said Nyhan. “As individuals we don’t have a lot of power but as a community we have an incredible amount of power so that is the big take away that I hope the kids take away from this.”