Barbara Tarbox

BarbTarbox (I made it.)

I chose Barbara Tarbox as my hero. She is a hero for helping save the lives of many young children. Tarbox started smoking when she was 11, in grade seven. She was diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer in September 2002. After the diagnosis, she travelled across Canada warning kids about smoking. Barbara Tarbox used her body as an example of what cancer can do to you.

Tarbox told a group of students, "Look at my arms, I don't know if you can see it but it's where the bones stick out. You know what? The bones stick out of every area of my body now. My feet, my legs are blue, or they like to call it cyanotic, which is like a purple tinge. And you know what happens? When your tissues start to die, they turn black. Oh yes! Oh yes, people. They turn black. And there isn't a perfume on the market that can hide that smell. All the result of smoking."

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After she does her presentation to the teenagers at their school some students ask her questions one-on-one. They could all tell how terrible the effects of smoking are, since she lost her hair. Tarbox was known for her great presentations and getting kids to vow to stop smoking ever again. She worked with her best childhood friend Tracy Mueller, speaking to over 15,000 high school students, which were mostly in Alberta. She wanted to reach over 50,000 students before she died.

In grade 9, Tarbox remembered smoking a whole pack every day. By grade 10, Barbara Tarbox was addicted to nicotine. Doctors told Tarbox that she would die during the Christmas of 2002. She said, "Nothing is going to slow me down at this point - even if I'm blind and in a wheelchair - I will keep going." Through her appearances at schools, she saved many lives of teenagers. By April 2003, Tarbox was six-feet-tall and weighed 85 pounds. The last school she went to was a junior and senior high school in Edmonton. May 18, 2003, was a very sad day in Canada, Tarbox died at the age of 42.

Barbara Tarbox (I made It.)

Works Cited

3232)., calling 1 800 O-Canada (1 800-622-. "Health Canada Launches "Two Lives Affected by Tobacco" Cinema Ad." index. 9 Mar. 2009 .

"Anti-smoking crusader Barb Tarbox dies." CBC.ca - Canadian News Sports Entertainment Kids Docs Radio TV. 6 Mar. 2009 .

"News Release - Tribute to Barb Tarbox." Welcome to Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada. 6 Mar. 2009 . the. "Tobacco Facts - Tobacco Truth - It'll never happen to me." Tobacco Facts - British Columbia. 6 Mar. 2009 .

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