Bella Coola resident Tim Michalchuk is making the walk of a lifetime for the love of his life.
After several months of training and preparation Tim started his walk Saturday, April 2 to raise funds for his wife Shannon Dickson to have leading edge stem cell treatment for Multiple Sclerosis.
He is walking “a million steps” from the doors of the MS clinic in Prince George to the MS clinic in Vancouver, circling through the Okanagan.
He hopes to walk 30 to 50 kilometres each day for the next month or so.
“I just need to focus on putting one foot in front of the other from April 2 until I reach Vancouver, pretty simple compared to what Shannon deals with every single day,” Tim says. “I think it’s the least any able bodied person could do for someone they love.”
A maintenance mechanic with Totem Sawmill in Bella Coola, Tim is taking a leave of absence from his job to make the walk.
After a motor vehicle accident the family was involved in at Christmas time, Shannon’s MS symptoms became acute and she is now hoping to join one of the stem cell transplant trials taking place in the U.S., U.K. or Mexico.
She said she first heard the words MS attached to her name six years ago as one of many “could be” diagnoses.
“About four years ago they said it was definitely MS,” Shannon says. “Pretty much life stayed fairly normal other than minor numbness in both hands and one foot that steadily crept up my limbs. I had some brain fog and fatigue issues but nothing that really affected our lifestyle.”
Then after the accident at Christmas time this past year, she says she had a relapse that has completely changed their lives.
“I lost the function of my left hand,” Shannon says. “I now require someone to cut my food for me, I can’t do zippers or buttons or tie my shoes.
“The left side of my body and my right leg have lost feeling and I use a cane to walk most days,” Shannon says.
“On bad days I need someone to help me get around. My balance is gone making standing a real task.”
She says her speech is impaired, she has to search for words, loses track of her thoughts and needs assistance getting dressed, in and out of the bath and in and out of their truck.
She is hopeful stem cell treatments will give her more strength and allow her to be more active in her children and grandchildren’s lives.
“I am looking to get stem cell treatment to try to stop the progression and maybe, just maybe get some of my life back, but it is very expensive,” Shannon says.
“I have applied for HSCT trials in the U.S. and the U.K.”
Tim and Shannon have been together almost 10 years and have two children, Mavorneen, 7, and Peter, 4.
Shannon also has four adult children from a previous marriage and grandchildren.
“I’m also a grandmother to one beautiful little six-month-old girl and there is another grandchild on the way,” Shannon says.
In addition to help with travel costs for the treatment, the family needs financial help to purchase items such as forearm canes for good days, a walker, a scooter, bath tub rail assists, renovations to their home including ramps, as well as help with medical travel.
Tim left Williams Lake for Prince George Friday with a donation of a new pair of walking shoes and a box of health bars from local businesses and small donations from his family and his workplace in Bella Coola.
Family members are taking turns driving the pilot car and camper that will become home on the road for Tim for the next month or so.
Shannon says the pilot vehicle broke down in Hixon on Monday, but Tim is still expected to arrive in Williams Lake in the late afternoon on April 7.
“Any and all help is greatly appreciated,” Shannon says.
Shannon says she is now getting ready for an appointment at the MS clinic in Vancouver which will coincide with Tim’s arrival in Vancouver.
“I will be there when he gets to Vancouver and hopefully at other points along the way,” Shannon says.
More on Tim and Shannon’s story can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/kehkkd4k and on their Facebook page www.facebook.com/MillionStepsToSaveMyShannon.