Running for the cure

By Linda Jensen Times Contributor

Born and raised in Strathmore, Tari Cockx is participating in the CIBC Run for the Cure. The reason is clear – she has recently been fighting breast cancer.
A year ago, Cockx led a typical life. She and her husband were both working, and had two daughters in university, plus one in Vietnam and another in Grade 12.
At 50 years of age, Cockx’s husband’s physical prompted her to have a mammogram. Her devastating diagnosis?
“Positive to breast cancer and a candidate for a bilateral mastectomy and concurrent reconstructive surgery,” she said. “That was on May 15, 2019. Before that, I had no inkling of cancer.”
Cockx, who serves as a town councillor in Strathmore, is participating in CIBC’s Run for the Cure on Oct. 6 under the team name TARI-fic Tatas, to create awareness and to raise money for cancer. To prepare, she walked the local 3.6 kilometre loop in Strathmore’s Terry Fox Run on Sept. 15. “Afterwards,” she said, “I went home for a nap.”
Cockx’s surgery in June was performed by an oncologist and three plastic surgeons. The weeks before the 14-hour surgery on June 28 were filled with “ongoing tests, bloodwork and scans.
“They took all the tissue plus lymph nodes as well,” she said. “There is a scar from one hip to the other across my stomach. They even detached blood vessels below my belly button and reconnected them in my chest. It’s amazing. I eventually will have feeling back in my body.”
Although Cockx has been significantly touched by cancer, she is thankful for the help of her family, co-workers and friends. “My daughters have been over the top supportive. My older daughters didn’t work but just looked after me. They never left my side. They were amazing. My husband has been through every appointment – everything – with me. My friends, my co-workers … thanks to all of these people in my life for their support.”
Cockx has been back to work for two weeks now. “I’m tired,” she said, “but I love my work. After a decision is forced upon you, make it the best you can.”
So, what’s next? “My kids are my goal now and they may be predisposed genetically (to cancer),” said Cockx. “They will be tested for cancer by ultrasound every six months for the rest of their lives. (Living with) breast cancer is a decision that I don’t want my daughters to (have to) make.
“I’m living in the chaos right now,” she added. “It’s probably not going to hit me until after the cancer run. I am not running; I am walking. Some will run, some will not. I’m not physically as strong as I was.”
Team support means a lot to Cockx, who had hoped to get 10 people on her team so they could get T-shirts.
“It’s funny how it works,” she said. “We have at least 13 (people) now – some of them are work friends and family, others are life-long friends and friends of friends. We want to get a tent. If you raise $10,000 you get to be put in contention for a tent. We are on a leader board now … along with banks, law firms and businesses. It makes me extremely happy.”
After the run, Cockx said she’ll need a new focus and that strength will be the key.
“Everybody keeps telling me that you don’t know how strong you are until you have to be,” she said. “You don’t know how much support you have until you need it. I don’t think of myself as being strong, but I think all of the people (who) have loved and supported me through this have made me strong. It is them, not me, who are strong.”
To support Cockx’s TARI-Fic Tatas team, simply google TARI-fic Tatas.