In September, 1980 when I arrived in Sault Ste. Marie to begin a career in journalism, the steel city in northern Ontario was buzzing over the recent visit of a 22-year-old one-legged runner who captivated Canadians with a courageous mission to raise awareness about cancer.
Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope ended prematurely on Sept. 1 just outside of Thunder Bay when his cancer returned. But his 5,373-kilometre trek galvanized Canadians coast to coast. Hundreds of stories were written. Television documentaries were aired. Millions of dollars were raised for cancer research.
Terry Fox, who died the following year, was a symbol of hope. A new worldwide recession was just beginning to take hold. Fox's story of determination and courage was the perfect anecdote during a time of worry and trial.
Today in Innisfail we have the story of four-year-old Brooke Aubuchon. She is dying of Batten disease. Unlike Fox she has not run marathons. While he was outspoken, little Brooke rarely speaks. On most levels, in fact, there is little in common with their stories. But one aspect that is similar is the overriding message of hope, particularly when looking at the adversity Brooke and her family have faced since 2008.
Following Fox's story, the world of journalism entered a period where diseases of every description were regularly featured. While a lot of good was created, particularly in raising public awareness, the trend ultimately became known as the media's ìDisease of the Weekî phase. After a few years journalists were forced to take a step back and reevaluate what was news and what was just filler, particularly pieces on conditions sensationalized by using children as the focal point.
In Brooke's case the heart-wrenching story is uniquely newsworthy. Her brother Alexander died of the same Batten disease 14 months ago. It is also compelling because Batten can only be caused when both parents have the same mutated gene that creates the disease. In this case Alexander and Brooke had different fathers. The odds of both children developing Batten under these conditions are off the chart. But it happened, and now Brooke is facing certain death as well, unless a clinical trial in New York produces a miracle.
But there are many who do believe in miracles. They believe this because miracles are grounded in hope, a powerful tonic that has proven capable of beating insurmountable odds time and time again. Hope is a huge part in the ongoing developing story on Brooke's journey in Innisfail. It has propelled citizens to push aside all worries of the day and open their hearts and wallets for an innocent child who will in all likelihood die before having a chance to enjoy the fruits of youth's wonder years and beyond.
When Terence Mann, the fictional writer in the 1989 film Field of Dreams, told Ray why thousands of people in Iowa would flock to his park of baseball ghosts of the past, he too was seized on the intangible power of hope.
ìThey'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom,î said Mann. ìThey'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack.î
In Brooke, there too is hope, and an inspiring feeling there will be peace on the horizon no matter what the future holds.
