Canadian High Commission gives to Medical School

Proceeds of the sixth Terry Fox Marathon of Hope worth 50 million cedis was on Tuesday presented to the University of Ghana Medical School to support the Burkitt's Tumor Project in Ghana.

The money, raised through corporate donations, pledges from runners, proceeds from raffles among other things would be used for research on Burkitt's Lymphoma, a type of cancer prevalent among children in Ghana Mr Jean-Pierre Bolduc, Canadian High Commissioner in Ghana, presented the cheque and said the donation brings to over 270 million cedis the amount raised from the first Terry Fox Run held in Accra in 1995.

Mr Bolduc said Canada believed strongly in supporting medical research, adding, "research must continue for many years and should be supported with great dedication by scientists and physicians to develop cures and improve the treatment for conditions such as cancer."

Professor Julius A. Mingle, Principal Investigator of the Burkitt's Tumor Project in Ghana, said donations to the project were used to care for children affected by cancer while the rest go into research in other related cancers. He recounted the numerous supports by other organisations and foreign individuals, who have contributed over the years to maintain the project and expressed his appreciation to the Canadian High Commission for its continuous assistance.

The Reverend Professor Andrew Seth Aryittey, Provost of the College of Health Sciences, said since the establishment of the Project, it had been able to train more researchers to contribute to the research work. Professor Clifford N. B. Tagoe, Dean of Ghana Medical School, received the donation and thanked the High Commission for the gesture.

He called for the participation of children in the walk to sustain it.Terry Fox an 18-year old Canadian lost part of his right leg to bone cancer. In 1980, Terry decided to run across Canada from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic in a "Marathon of Hope" to raise funds for cancer research.

On September 1, 1980 after 143 days and a 5,373-kilometre walk, he was forced to stop the walk when the cancer spread to his lungs. Terry died from cancer on 28 June 1981 at the age of 22 years.