Teen who had same cancer as Terry Fox leads run at Yorkton high school

A 17-year-old studentis leading the Terry Fox run at his school on Friday after losing his leg to the same cancer Terry Fox had.

Terry Fox's brother, Fred Fox, walked beside Chad Young at the run at theYorkton Regional High School. Fox and Young will also be doing aceremonial kickoff at a local football game at 7 p.m.

Young lives on a farm in Bredenbury, Sask., at town 45 kilometres southeast of Yorkton. He found out he had cancer in August 2015 when he went to the hospital after injuring his shoulder in a dirt bike accident.

When he was at the hospital, Young told his doctor about a lump on the back of his pelvis.

"A week later, I was out in the tractor [and]my mom phoned me and said 'We are on our way to Saskatoon.'"

At the hospital in Saskatoon, Young was diagnosed with osteosarcoma.

"Surprisingly, I just kind of sat there," Young said. "I just kind of said, 'Yeah, let's get going.'"

"Looking back now, I am surprised I wasn't just bawling but Mom did enough bawling for me."

Young began receiving chemotherapy right away.In January, hewas sent to a hospital in Toronto where doctors suggested he have his leg amputated.

"They said they could leave it but it would be completely useless," Young said.

Young ended up having two 12-hour surgeries, the first to put rods and screws in his lower spine and the second to remove the tumour inhis left leg.

After the surgery, Young went to Saskatoon to heal and to undergo 13 more weeks of chemo. He was able to go home at the end of July.

All of his scans since then have been clean.

"I am more serious about life and stuff now," he said.

Young returned to high school in September. He is doing an accelerated program so that he will be able to graduate with his friends at the end of the school year.

Support from his community

Young said his hometown and his high school came together to support him and his family. His elementary school organized a glow walk and fundraiser for him.

When he was going through treatment, his high school sold bracelets with the words "Forever Young" and "Hope Courage Faith" adorned on them.

The Morning Edition - Sask6:34Yorkton Regional Highschool student leads Terry Fox run after his own brush with cancer

Chad Young, 17, lost his leg to cancer. Now he's running with Terry Fox's brother to raise money for the cause.