Terry Fox was born in 1958, the son of a Canadian switch-man. In November 1976, he acquired a sore knee from crashing into the rear of a pickup truck. By March, the pain in his knee had worsened. Terry was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, and his entire right leg was amputated. Terry was given a 50-50 chance of survival. Terry had no interest in cross-country running, at first. As a boy, he was more interested in other types of sports. To please the coach, he took up running. In 1980, with his leg prosthesis, Terry ran cross-country, raising money for cancer.