Editing Terry Fox (section)

===Preparation===
On October 15, 1979, Fox sent a letter to the [[Canadian Cancer Society]] in which he announced his goal and appealed for funding. He stated that he would "conquer" his disability, and promised to complete his run, even if he had to "crawl every last mile". Explaining why he wanted to raise money for research, Fox described his personal experience of cancer treatment:
{{blockquote|I soon realized that that would only be half my quest, for as I went through the 16 months of the physically and emotionally draining ordeal of chemotherapy, I was rudely awakened by the feelings that surrounded and coursed through the cancer clinic. There were faces with the brave smiles, and the ones who had given up smiling. There were feelings of hopeful denial, and the feelings of despair. My quest would not be a selfish one. I could not leave knowing these faces and feelings would still exist, even though I would be set free from mine. Somewhere the hurting must stop&nbsp;... and I was determined to take myself to the limit for this cause.<ref name="cosentino">{{cite book|last=Cosentino|first=Frank|title=Not bad, eh?: great moments in Canadian sports history|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5AagweEwvVgC|year=1990|publisher=General Store Publishing House|isbn=978-0-919431-29-4|pages=63–64}}</ref>}}

Fox closed his letter with the statement: "We need your help. The people in cancer clinics all over the world need people who believe in miracles. I am not a dreamer, and I am not saying that this will initiate any kind of definitive answer or cure to cancer. I believe in miracles. I have to."<ref name=cosentino/>
[[File:Terry Fox van @ the Royal BC Museum.jpg|thumb|The van used in the Marathon of Hope on display at the [[:en:Royal British Columbia Museum|Royal British Columbia Museum]]]]
The Cancer Society was skeptical of his success but agreed to support Fox once he had acquired sponsors and requested he get a medical certificate from a heart specialist stating that he was fit to attempt the run. Fox was diagnosed with [[left ventricular hypertrophy]]&nbsp;– an enlarged heart&nbsp;– a condition commonly associated with athletes. Doctors warned Fox of the potential risks he faced, though they did not consider his condition a significant concern. They endorsed his participation when he promised that he would stop immediately if he began to experience any heart problems.<ref>Scrivener, 2000, pp. 69–70.</ref>

A second letter was sent to several corporations seeking donations for a vehicle and running shoes, and to cover the other costs of the run.<ref name="Scrivener63">Scrivener, 2000, p. 63.</ref> Fox sent other letters asking for grants to buy a running leg.<ref name="Scrivener63" /> The [[Ford Motor Company]] donated a camper van,<ref name="Scrivener13" /> while [[Imperial Oil]] contributed fuel, and [[Adidas]] his running shoes.<ref name="Murphy33">Murphy, 2005, p. 33.</ref> Fox turned away any company that requested he endorse their products and refused any donation that carried conditions, as he insisted that nobody was to profit from his run.<ref name="Scrivener13" />