If I Had a $1,000,000 I’d Buy Pilk a New Body....

At the prime of life, and after just buying their first home, Graham and Brittney Pilkington found themselves in a health related tailspin. Graham was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease that attacks his vital organs called sarcoidosis. For some people, sarcoidosis is a condition where they don’t experience complications. For a few people, the disease is serious and results in the deterioration of affected organs. Unfortunately, Graham falls into the latter category and this disease is continuing to diminish the function of several vital organs. His care team has worked hard to manage various issues that have cropped up and recently he has begun weekly dialysis to support his compromised organs.

Graham posted an emotional message on Facebook with details of his long journey to diagnoses, see below, and as a result many have reached out to ask how they can help. This GoFundMe campaign is one way you can support him on this uncertain road.

The funds we raise will assist Graham and Brittney with the expenses they are going to incur during treatment such as parking, meals, medical expenses and home modifications not covered by insurance. There is also the possibility of out of province treatments as there may be support at specialized clinics in BC and Ontario. We also want to offer Graham the opportunity to have fulfilling experiences as this has taken a toll on his mental health with the limitations to his mobility and independence.

Graham is a long time member of the Royal Canadian Air Cadet program. Supporting thousands of Canada’s youth over the past 26 years. Most recently as the Commanding Officer of 395 Griffon Squadron. Over the past year he has led his cadets through Covid-19, ensuring that their training was engaging and offering the 12-18 year old in his immediate charge the best possible training. His commitment to the cadet program over the years has been second to none. He works tirelessly to offer new and exciting opportunities to not just his cadets but to the cadets in the zone. Whether it be arranging a large training exercise or assisting with driving cadets to camps his passion is undeniable.

Graham’s Facebook post: “Friends, I have a story to tell, but it’s kinda a long read, so please bear with me…

At the end of April 2020 I entered the Sturgeon Hospital with a blood Blister on my foot. I was pretty scared as CoVid was still new and I was afraid to catch it. The hospitals were also on lock down, so no visitors either. They kept me there for 14 days doing a bunch of tests as my levels were not great. They did some ultrasounds of my heart and diagnosed me with congestive heart failure and shipped me off to the University of Alberta for further testing. After another week they determined that I have a rare disease called Sarcoidosis in my heart.

Previously it had only been in my liver, but now it has spread to my liver, heart, kidneys, and lungs. In basic terms, sarcoidosis diminishes the function of the organ it inhabits. A rare autoimmune disease that attacks the organs it is in.

At this point, the disease was pretty well dormant and I was put on some drugs to help stave off any effects.

Fast forward to October and my foot was pretty much healed and I was feeling good and ready to get back to work. I was told to stay home because of the pandemic and I continued to work from home till December 14th. I had started to gain a lot of weight and felt like a freight train had run me over so I went back to the hospital and it was determined that the sarcoidosis was active in both my heart and kidneys. While in the hospital they managed to get my kidneys going and some of the fluid off. The fluid subsided a bit and I was sent home. A couple of weeks later and 60 pounds heavier, I was back at the U of A as they tried to get the fluid off my body. At this point I lost my ability to walk or pretty much do anything due to the added weight. A week later and I was back at home on oral medication and being monitored by a new thing called virtual hospital. Unfortunately, the fluid didn’t dissipate, and I was back in the hospital. It was at this time the Doctors advised me that I would have to start Dialysis and if my body could not handle it, I really only had a life expectancy of a couple months. I’m glad to say that dialysis has been working and the outlook is looking better.

There are no specialist Doctors in Canada that deal with this as it is rare to get it in one organ let alone 4 and it could activate at any time. I have been told that I am not a good candidate for transplant as they would have to do the heart and kidneys at the same time. So, it’s just a waiting game for now.

My family and friends that we have let in on this have been extremely supportive throughout this time. Also, my wife, Brittney has been my rock and really deserves a medal and wife of the year award for putting up with me and all the appointments we have had to do. The road ahead isn’t very clear at the moment but wanted to let the masses know before the rumor mill started grinding away. At this stage I am feeling ok and my mobility is getting better.

While I don’t know what exactly the future holds, I am taking advantage of the time I do have.”

- Graham Pilkington

Please feel free to contact Deb Smart or Sue Faraschuk for further information or if you have any questions regarding helping Graham and Brittney.