The 2013 MS Walk

On Sunday April 28th, Kevin's Heroes participated in the Tri Cities Walk for MS for our 9th time.  Can you believe it has been 9 years since Kevin was diagnosed with MS?  Time sure does fly.  I remember the appointment at the neurologist's office in New Westminster like it was yesterday.  We met in his office, went into the exam room so he could do a few 'tests' with Kevin, then went back into his office.  Sitting across the desk from Kevin and I, he blurted out "I think you have MS".  I distinctly remember thinking "What is MS?", then "Oh my God, what does this mean?".  The Dr tried to find a brochure for us to read, then referred us to the MS Society website.  We talked about having an MRI done, and off we went.  We walked out of there in a daze.  I still clearly remember stepping into the hallway, watching the brown door close behind us, turning to Kevin and reaching out to him.  We clung to each other, scared, not knowing what the future had in store.

When I opened my eyes on the day of the walk this year and saw the sunshine coming through the blinds, my very first thought was a whole-hearted "YES!". After a full day of rain the day before, I wasn't hoping for sunshine, just dryness. Not long after I awoke, Bradyn came bursting through my bedroom door and said "Mommy, it's sunny. Now I get to play in the park at the MS Walk." And play she did.

We had another great turnout for the walk this year. Kevin's Heroes had 19 walkers, including Athena (the dog) and baby Amaya - who is now officially the youngest Kevin's Heroes walker to date. She squeezed Bradyn out by 8 days!  (5 of our walkers were camera-shy)

Hugs with Uncle Dallas, before the walk.

As the 'walk' officially got underway, Bradyn, Mathew and Alexander took off running at full speed - unbeknownst to me. As I looked around trying to find her, watching everyone starting out along the path, panic started to set in.  Someone thought they had seen the kids take off running so I passed my gear off to Lara and she, Dallas and Ita agreed to bring up the rear while I ran ahead to find Miss B.  Little did I know that I would be running most of the 5 km this year (my trainer was proud). Those kids are fast! I was relieved when I finally caught sight of them, with Mathew's mom jogging and walking, keeping them in view.  By the time I got close to Bradyn and the boys, the game was well under way.  They'd stop for a quick break but as I got closer, they'd take off running at full speed.  I did manage to bear-hug Bradyn once or twice along the way but the little buggers always managed to get away.  Mathew's mom and I did a good job of keeping up but, when Alexander threw in the towel, she stopped to walk with him while I continued the chase.  Bradyn and Matthew barely stopped at the half-way mark to drink some water and catch their breath.  I tried to convince them to walk back, but they weren't interested.  About 3/4 of the way back, Bradyn finally walked for a bit.  She said that she had a broken rib and that her side hurt.  Trying not to laugh AT her, I smiled, chuckled and explained to her what a 'stitch' was, along with the merits of stretching before you run.  She didn't walk for long because she was determined to keep up with Mathew (who is 9 and in the running club at her school).  The finish was great - the kids burst across the finish line and headed to the park.  The nice thing about finishing the 'walk' so quickly this year was that I got to watch everyone cross the finish line, with big smiles on their faces.

Claudia and her mom (she and Claudia's dad were visiting from Mexico - so great to have them join us)

Bradyn, longingly watching the park as she inhaled her hot dog.

Bradyn and Mathew, re-enacting their finish.

Lara and Marcus (I can't believe how big he is now!)

Ita, and Dallas getting High-Fives.  I think this is the one and only year I actually finished before them.

Lani and Rialto

Every year at the walk I get so wrapped up in what we're doing and talking with our friends, that I haven't taken the time to really talk to other teams. This year, I did. Whether it was being cheered on by other walkers as I was trying to catch up to Bradyn and her friends, or taking a break and walking with others, I met people. And it was humbling.    

A week before the walk, a team by the name of Brenda's Angels suddenly appeared at the top of the list for top fundraising teams, and 2 of their members were leading for individual fundraisers.  The competitve side in me kicked into gear - "who are these guys?"  "where did they come from?" "Let's kick their asses" (sorry).  For several days it was back and forth between them and us, Dallas and their 2 team members, competing for first place in each category.  Then, on Wednesday night I actually took the time to read their team page.  Long story short, Brenda, 54, woke up one morning last July and felt 'strange' - things declined over the course of the day.  In March, she was diagnosed with MS.  Dallas met Brenda at the walk and later introduced me to her.  We hugged, and you could see that it was an emotional day for her - this was all so very new.  We joked about the competition over the past week and her team playing the 'cute dog' angle to get more pledges.  I wanted to talk longer and give her encouragement, but the walk was about to start.  I only saw her later to wave good-bye.  I made myself a promise that next year, I would talk to more people and get to know people in this group.  We are all in this together - we have family and friends inflicted with this horrible disease, and it's going to be a long haul.  We'll see each other every year at the walk, so why not get to know each other and support each other, even if it's only for one day a year?  I know that I appreciate the smiling, friendly faces, and I know how much it means to have the support of our family and friends as we navigate the course of Kevin's disease.  Even though Kevin is experiencing more symptoms than he was, in the grand scheme of things we really are blessed that, whether it's because of the medication or just the natural course of his disease, the progression has been slow.  Despite the fact that each new symptom or progression of an 'old' symptom feels like a punch in the stomach, in my heart I believe that Kevin will continue to beat this disease - not the other way around.    

P.S. - Oh yeah... although we came in second to Brenda's Angels this year, we raised a whopping $7,381!!!  That's $1,076 more than last year, and another record-breaking year for Kevin's Heroes.  I am SOOO pround of Dallas for raising $4,191, and feel blessed that we had so many people come out to support us again this year.  Can't wait until next year!