The little ones at Willowbrook Montessori Daycare knew they were running for Terry Fox on Friday morning.

They knew he had to have his leg 鈥渃ut off.鈥�

They knew that he lost his leg because he 鈥済ot sick.鈥�

But for program coordinator Oana Nistor, Terry鈥檚 cancer fight was so much more.

She helped organize the Willoughby daycare鈥檚 fifth annual Terry Fox Run to bring awareness about the disease to the children 鈥� all between the ages of three and five 鈥� and to raise funds for cancer research through the Terry Fox Foundation.

Cancer has impacted many, including Nistor: 鈥淲e all know what cancer is and what it does.鈥�

Nistor is a survivor, after being diagnosed with a peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST), a form of cancer of the connective tissue surrounding nerves. Nistor has a scar along her her jawline as a constant reminder of what she endured.

鈥淚鈥檓 one of the lucky ones who survived,鈥� said Nistor.

鈥淲e started this because personally I had an encounter with cancer,鈥� Nistor noted. 鈥淎nd we also had a dad at our school who had the same kind of cancer Terry Fox had.鈥�

Terry Fox Runs were held in 91原创 City, Walnut Grove, and Aldergrove on Sept. 17 with all proceeds going to the foundation.

To date, over $750 million has been raised worldwide for cancer research in Terry鈥檚 name through the annual Terry Fox Run, held across Canada and around the world.