8 - North Shore News — Sunday, September 17, 2000

THE following is a
list of recent West
Vancouver Police
reports:

August 28
1. 2300-blk. Westhill Drive
Break and enter. Sliding
glass door removed trom
track. Unknown if entry
gained.

August 30
2. 400-blk. Tabbit Lane
Break and enter. Ladder
used to gain access to bal-
cony. Unsecured window
opened.

September +
3. Sunset Marina parking
fot
Attempted stolen autos.
Two vehicles had their door
locks pried and damage to
their ignitions.

September 5

4. 2200-bik. Inglewood
Avenue .

Break and enter.
Screwdriver used to force
front door. Safe was gone
through and food was con-
sumed.

5... 6400-bIk.
‘Avenue
: Break and enter. Sliding
‘door forced open and food
eaten.

6. 6200-blk. St. Georges
Attempted. stolen: auto.
Unlocked: vehicle parked in
“driveway. Ignition tampered .

with. Vehicle gone through.

September 6

Douglas

- i 7. §800- bik, Marine Drive

Attempted break and

“etiter:~ Damage to sliding

door. No enuy gained.

‘Septem imber 7
--2200- bik. Bellevue
Avenue . :
—tyeBreak? and. enter. Several
~ lockers - broken into. Door

bik!

Beak and enter.
. “Three lockers broken into:
Cutters used to- cut locking

2 Bellevue

mail: test ‘| oe

More cancer research i

From page 4

In November of 1998, Exic was diagnosed with
osteogenic carcoma, a type of bone cancer. The same
type of cancer that Terry Fox had.

“The tumour was on my fibia. I had chemo first
but that didn’t even touch it,” Eric says.

Last January, doctors removed his leg at the
thigh, took out the diseased knee and fibia, chen
reattached his shin and foot, upside down, to his
thigh. The surgery is called rotation plasty and only
about a dozen kids in B.C. have had it done.

“Have you ever seen one” Eric asks. “Here, Pll
show it to you.” He undoes his prosthetic leg —
made of polymer and adorned with a Canadian flag
— and slides it- off. Underneath is his ankle, now

serving as a knee, and his foot, sole side out. He’

points and flexes it, to demonstrate how it moves

when he walks.
“Sooner ¢ or later I'll be able to run. Whatever nor-
mal kids can do,

Pil be able to do,,

but it’s just a lot
harder for me. It’s
been really hard to
gct used to.”
But for now he has
to concentrate on
gaining strength in
the joint. He’s
using his . cane
~when he | walks
because he has to
learn to walk with-
out a limp.
“That’s what my
physio said. She’s a
' real nice lady. Very
professional.”
His cancer is not
* something he has
talked about much.
“At school we wear
_. a uniform and it’s
- pants so no. one
‘really knows.

When they ask me what happened [ juse say 1 fell
down the stairs or something.”

Now though — on the 20th anniversary of the
Terry Fox Run, he wants to talk about what he’s
dealing with.

“Before I was diagnosed, we always watched the

“The chemo makes you so sick, it

kills your cells. Every chemo you start
throwing up like a cocker spaniel.”
" — Eric Kaarie ,

Terry Fox video at school. That's when I was at
Braemar. I thought there was only one kind of can-
cer, and it was just called ‘cancer.’ And I always fig-
ured you just took a pill for it.

“Ihad no clue, I was 10, I guess that’s pretty
Young, but I thought it was just some walk in the
pork.”

It’s not. And he wants eople to know about it.
Because although research kas improved cancer
treatment in the two decades’ since Terry Fox died,
the fight is far from over.

“tm ho oping if people understand what the kids
are going through they'll want to help — most of
the kids on the ward (at Childrens’ Hospital) are so
young. It’s like a horror show.

“The chemo makes you so sick, it kills your cells.
Every chemo you start throwing up like a cocker
spaniel.”

Two months after he finished treatment he went
in for a check-up. Doctors discovered two tumours,
one on each lung. And this time, when the surgery
was done, he went in for. megatherapy, which
involves super high doses cf chemotherapy.

“You have to stay in the hospital. Everything dies,
all the. cells. Your skin peels off, you get 30 to 40
cold sores in your mouth, you even throw up the lin-
ing in your esophagus. Ir’s gross.” He grins. “Make
it as graphic for the viewers as possible.”

A. check-up after. the megathera Py was. done
revealed yet another tumour on his
removed it, but this time he didn’t, get chemothera-

o Veincouver Contain & Eshbiton Cente ”

“Present this coupon ‘when y you.”

‘puch one full priced $7 admission: *
ticket dnd the second one is on us.

“Nor valid with any other admission discount offet.. "+:
foese between same day or next doy second tckol

ung. Doctors -

is needed

- py. His body can’t take any more. a
” “Lhave to laugh when my friends at school say’
‘ve had such a bad day,’ or 4} feel so sick today.” Te.
don’t want to be mean to them, so [ just excuse: -'

myselt'and go to the bathroom | and laugh and laugh. aan

They don’t know what sick is.” :
Now that he’s back in school he’s going to con-:.

centrate on getting stronger, but he won't forget the. :

hospital, che other kids or the doctors. -
“[ don’t want to forget about it at all. I want to ves
keep it in my mind every day so I can help other peo- ©:

le deal with it. I couldn't forget about it anyway - os

ow can you forget you lost your leg?” -

~ He says his‘mom has’ been “great:
been a big help, she’s always there.” And he. also.
wants to thank Dr. Ken Brown, who is his: surgeon
and Dr. Paul Rogers, his oncologist: He’s'éyen con
sidering a carcer as a doctor when he gets old

“Pve thought. about it. I. think -’'d° be
because I'd know what they are going through.
you need to be good in school, and Pr ‘m n hardly
student.” : 7

One thing is certain, his prioriti

“AC first I couldn't believe'it. I ‘thougtrt’: This
can’t happen, I’m a soccer player.’ But now I look at
my life as a journey, It’s brought me closer ta God,
actually. Now I think if it ends if I'm going to die.
well ... I just have to deal with i

And for right now, he has something he wants to
say. “Cancer research i is needed. That’ 's the message
I'm trying to get out.”

rite a
The 20th annual ‘Terry Fox Run i is taking:

“today, Sept. 17 across Canada. On the North Sh
there are .two_ runs — the.“North®: Van
run/wheelchair/bike and blade takes plac
and starts at the Seymour Valley-Rice’Lake gat

~ The West Vancouver run/wheelchair ‘an
begins at 8:30 in Ambleside Pack: :

“Terry Team member and will likely
the run at. the; Lower: * Seyme Ur. Cc
Reserve. ; i

“She's really Ly