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Argos' WR/KR Chad Owens is raising money for a 13-year-old with nerve cancer

Argos' WR/KR Chad Owens is raising money for a 13-year-old with nerve cancer

Toronto Argonauts' wide receiver/kick returner Chad Owens has beaten plenty of tough opponents on the field over the years. Now, he's trying to take on one beyond the gridiron by raising money for 13-year-old Marcus Baksh, who's been diagnosed with metastatic neuroblastoma. Neuroblastoma, a cancer that affects the nerves, is a prominent childhood cancer and one that can be very serious. Here's what Owens wrote about Baksh on his fundraising page: 

Marcus Baksh is a 13 year old boy that's played hockey since he was 5 yrs old. He was in incredible shape for a kid his age.

He plays for the Clarington Toros Minor Bantam 'A' Team and was in a hockey tournament in early January 2015 in Aurora where he took a body check that caused him to land awkwardly.

From the second he landed he hasn't been able to skate properly or take part in normal activities. The family had x-rays done and everything pointed toward a pinched nerve or a bruised tail bone and so as such for more than a month.

Once they realized Marcus' situation was worsening, they took him to a highly recommended physiotherapist. The therapist figured out it was more than just a hockey injury because of the way Marcus walked and the results of his reflexology tests. He recommended that they get Marcus to SickKids Hospital right away - so they went that evening.

Once they met with the doctors at SickKids, and explained what had transpired so far and they immediately did an MRI. The following day they broke the news: Marcus had 2 tumors, 1 in the pelvic area and the other putting pressure on his spinal cord.

At that point they didn't know exactly what type it was but they told his family that it was cancer. He has since been officially diagnosed with metastatic neuroblastoma which is a cancer that affects the nerves.

According to Owens, Baksh is currently in the third stage of chemotherapy, and his perseverance has been an inspiration. What Owens is doing here is pretty cool; he's donating his own time, energy and merchandise to people who choose to support Baksh. Those who choose to jump in can get anything from a Facebook shoutout from Owens for $10 to a short video message for $50 to an appearance at their school or business for $1500; they can also enter draws for a signed canvas or Argos' helmet or a movie night, training session or lunch with Owens.

What stands out about Owens' effort here is the way he's not just trying to bring attention to this cause, but is also volunteering his own time to hang out with donors. That's great to see. His decision to make many of the prizes a draw rather than a higher set reward level also seems smart; it's a way to give people a shot at winning something very cool without a tremendous financial investment. The chance to hang out with Owens at the movies, lunch or training would already be pretty valuable to a lot of Argonauts' fans even if it wasn't a fundraiser for such a good cause. Here's hoping that this campaign goes well for Owens, and that it can help Baksh with his treatment and recovery.