Terry-Lee Parr has been on both sides of the pledge form, both as a fundraiser in the Weekend to End Breast Cancer, and as a patient depending on research to save her life.

“When I see people out there fundraising, I commend them because I know how much it does cost to treat people with cancer,” she said. “I personally think it’s wonderful.”

Parr was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, and following months of treatment, she can say now two years later that she’s cancer-free.

“Until you actually go through it yourself, you really don’t look at the big picture, you don’t realize what is involved in trying to find a cure,” she said. “It opens your eyes to everything that is needed by researchers and their teams to find a cure, it was such a big eye-opener.”

Head-shaving is a common symbol of support during cancer fundraisers, and though Parr’s hair fell out during chemotherapy treatment, it didn’t phase her. “In all honesty for me, it wasn’t even an issue,” she said. “I had much bigger things to worry about, it’s only hair, it grows back it didn’t bother me at all, didn’t shed a tear over losing my hair.”

Parr is more concerned with the number of people affected by the disease. “Walking in the Cross Cancer Institute and seeing just how many people are affected by cancers or sick with cancer, it can affect anybody at any time,” she said, adding she was just 43 when she was diagnosed, which is young, as most cases of breast cancer occur in women over 50.

“Every time you turn around it seems like there’s somebody that’s been diagnosed with some form of cancer,” she said. “I know of a girl who is 15 years old who just went through a bilateral mastectomy. Fifteen years old, that’s unbelievable.”

But Parr is optimistic that as research continues, treatments will improve. “As long as we have people who are still raising money to fund researching then I think it’s just a matter of time before a cure is found,” she added.

The Jasper Volunteer Fire Brigade is participating in the Great Canadian Head Shave Sept. 12, in support of the Terry Fox Foundation, and the Terry Fox Run will be held in Jasper on Sept. 14. All funds raised through the Terry Fox Foundation are distributed through the National Cancer Institute of Canada.