When Quinn began having unbearable pain in his left leg, which he thought may have been growing pains, he immediately went to see a doctor.
Quinn had an X-Ray that showed a mass on his left femur (thigh bone). To determine whether it was cancerous or not, he needed to go to the IWK for further tests.
Sadly, a biopsy on the mass confirmed the worst-case scenario—Quinn had Stage 4 Ewing sarcoma (ES). Ewing sarcoma is a rare form of cancer that affects the bones or the soft tissues surrounding them. Stage 4 is the most advanced stage of the disease, and it indicates the cancer has spread to distant tissues and organs.
“It didn’t feel real,” Quinn shares about how he felt after hearing the life-changing news. “You don’t really think cancer is something that could happen to you.”
Quinn was admitted to the IWK to undergo an intensive treatment plan, which included chemotherapy, 31 radiation sessions on his femur, as well as 10 radiation sessions on his lungs, where the cancer had spread.
Quinn was cancer-free for two years after completing his treatment, but a routine screening indicated his cancer had sadly returned. He needed to undergo more chemotherapy treatments and surgery to have his femur removed and replaced with a femur from a donor.
Before cancer upended his life, Quinn was athletic and sporty, but his cancer diagnosis changed all that. Although he has limited mobility and can’t run, he finds passion in other hobbies, such as singing, playing guitar and watching movies.
Like many Canadians, one of Quinn’s heroes is Terry Fox, an athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist. Fox inspired Canadians from coast to coast with his Marathon of Hope, a historic 1980 cross-country run across Canada to raise money and awareness for cancer research.
In May 2026, Quinn was inspired to journey across Canada like Fox, following the same route Fox ran in 1980. Because it was a massive undertaking, Quinn knew it should mean something special, so he decided to take on the challenge by fundraising for the IWK and the Terry Fox Foundation.
“I wanted to raise money for the IWK and to help the patients under their care,” says Quinn. “The doctors, nurses and staff at the IWK care so much about their patients,” he adds.
After 26 days on the road, Quinn completed his trek to British Columbia and raised an outstanding $56,000 for the IWK. Quinn, who was diagnosed at 15 and relapsed at 17, is now 21 years old and cancer-free.
When asked if he has any advice for young people diagnosed with cancer, Quinn says, “It’s important to stay positive. Whether you are given a 5% chance to live or an 80% chance, see how you respond to treatment before you start jumping to any conclusions.”
