Walter and Christel Laboucane's journey
Dear Friends,
Walter and Christel are in need of support. Walter was recently diagnosed with ALS and he and Christel are living under very difficult conditions. In September 2020, Christel and Walter bought a mobile home so that they could be closer to the hospital. They knew that there would be some work needed however, to their dismay the mobile home was full of mould and had sections of rotten wood. The family helped them completely gut the trailer and replaced 3/4 of the exterior wood as well as a new metal roof but there is still work to be done. Walter and Christel have had no running water, no insulation, only have 2x4’s for interior walls, have no sub-flooring, and they only have one window. Despite these living conditions Christel and Walter have remained optimistic.
Over the course of the past one and half years, Walter has gone through more health challenges than anyone should endure. It started on July 7th, 2019, Walter suffered a massive heart attack while on a run. He was not expected to live but he beat all odds. He was unable to work and was on a long road to recovery. Then in the Spring of 2020 things just weren’t right as he noticed he was losing the use of one of his arms. Walter went to the Emergency Department and was immediately transferred and admitted to the University of Alberta Hospital. He underwent many tests over the course of seven days and was discharged the day after another Edmonton hospital closed due to a COVID outbreak. At that time Walter was given a preliminary diagnosis of ALS and a possible diagnosis of Multifocal Motor Neuropathy (MMN). MMN is a rare neuropathy characterized by progressive asymmetric weakness and atrophy. This disorder occurs because one’s immune system is attacking motor nerves within the body.
Then on July 4th 2020, Walter and his family received devastating news, Walter has ALS. Over the past few months, Walter has started to lose function in his other arm, is experiencing speech challenges and cognitive changes. Walter has always been a slight man but he is now losing even more weight. On November 30, 2020 Walter went for his first visit to the ALS clinic. They were hoping to do a home visit however, due to Walter and Christel’s living conditions, the health care workers deemed it was unsafe to conduct the home visit.
In addition to his ALS diagnosis, a growth was found on a nerve in Walter’s neck. On December 14th, 2020 Walter underwent surgery for a biopsy and was discharged the next day. The family is now hoping for results within the next month.
Christel is not without her own challenges. She was mis-diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis 33 years ago. It wasn’t until 3 years ago that she was given a definite diagnosis of MMN (confirmed through blood work). The medical professionals said the chance of both Christel and Walter having MMN (or even both having neurological disorders) is astronomical as there is no known cause and it is a rare condition. Christel’s condition has affected her grip, she has severe weakness and pain in her arms and hands, and she frequently drops things. Her MMN has not progressed as fast as Walter’s condition but there have been noticeable changes in the past few years.
Christel and Walter are living under terrible conditions. A few months ago, they submitted all the necessary plans and paperwork to the city of Edmonton for approval of a building permit. It was supposed to take 3 weeks but it took more than 8 weeks to receive acknowledgement of the building request. With many phone calls, e-mails and one final compassionate plea to improve their living conditions, they finally got the city to review their file. They have now received their permit and are getting insulation done this week. They have ordered windows and will address the plumbing so they will soon be able to have running water. However, they are living on limited income and they have used their savings. We would like them to be able to call their mobile home their new HOME. As many of you are aware, Christel and Walter are extremely reluctant to ask for help. Handy-man Walter has done an immense amount of the renovation using just one arm and with help from his family.
Everyone who knows Christel and Walter know they are incredibly selfless, kind, and giving. They volunteered in the Edmonton inner city for many years serving breakfast to those in need and now we want to help them. Together they have also raised five wonderful kids (Micah, Jonah, Luke, Laila and Noah) and they have many friends and family who love them dearly.
As the saying goes “What goes around comes around”. Please know that the money raised through this initiative will go towards making a safe and comfortable home for Christel and Walter. Money will also go towards paying for the unforeseen costs that Walter and Christel will likely occur along Walter’s ALS journey.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post and for donating. As Mother Theresa said, "It’s not about how much you give, rather it’s about how much love we put into giving."
From the friends and family of Walter and Christel
Dear Friends,
Walter and Christel are in need of support. Walter was recently diagnosed with ALS and he and Christel are living under very difficult conditions. In September 2020, Christel and Walter bought a mobile home so that they could be closer to the hospital. They knew that there would be some work needed however, to their dismay the mobile home was full of mould and had sections of rotten wood. The family helped them completely gut the trailer and replaced 3/4 of the exterior wood as well as a new metal roof but there is still work to be done. Walter and Christel have had no running water, no insulation, only have 2x4’s for interior walls, have no sub-flooring, and they only have one window. Despite these living conditions Christel and Walter have remained optimistic.
Over the course of the past one and half years, Walter has gone through more health challenges than anyone should endure. It started on July 7th, 2019, Walter suffered a massive heart attack while on a run. He was not expected to live but he beat all odds. He was unable to work and was on a long road to recovery. Then in the Spring of 2020 things just weren’t right as he noticed he was losing the use of one of his arms. Walter went to the Emergency Department and was immediately transferred and admitted to the University of Alberta Hospital. He underwent many tests over the course of seven days and was discharged the day after another Edmonton hospital closed due to a COVID outbreak. At that time Walter was given a preliminary diagnosis of ALS and a possible diagnosis of Multifocal Motor Neuropathy (MMN). MMN is a rare neuropathy characterized by progressive asymmetric weakness and atrophy. This disorder occurs because one’s immune system is attacking motor nerves within the body.
Then on July 4th 2020, Walter and his family received devastating news, Walter has ALS. Over the past few months, Walter has started to lose function in his other arm, is experiencing speech challenges and cognitive changes. Walter has always been a slight man but he is now losing even more weight. On November 30, 2020 Walter went for his first visit to the ALS clinic. They were hoping to do a home visit however, due to Walter and Christel’s living conditions, the health care workers deemed it was unsafe to conduct the home visit.
In addition to his ALS diagnosis, a growth was found on a nerve in Walter’s neck. On December 14th, 2020 Walter underwent surgery for a biopsy and was discharged the next day. The family is now hoping for results within the next month.
Christel is not without her own challenges. She was mis-diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis 33 years ago. It wasn’t until 3 years ago that she was given a definite diagnosis of MMN (confirmed through blood work). The medical professionals said the chance of both Christel and Walter having MMN (or even both having neurological disorders) is astronomical as there is no known cause and it is a rare condition. Christel’s condition has affected her grip, she has severe weakness and pain in her arms and hands, and she frequently drops things. Her MMN has not progressed as fast as Walter’s condition but there have been noticeable changes in the past few years.
Christel and Walter are living under terrible conditions. A few months ago, they submitted all the necessary plans and paperwork to the city of Edmonton for approval of a building permit. It was supposed to take 3 weeks but it took more than 8 weeks to receive acknowledgement of the building request. With many phone calls, e-mails and one final compassionate plea to improve their living conditions, they finally got the city to review their file. They have now received their permit and are getting insulation done this week. They have ordered windows and will address the plumbing so they will soon be able to have running water. However, they are living on limited income and they have used their savings. We would like them to be able to call their mobile home their new HOME. As many of you are aware, Christel and Walter are extremely reluctant to ask for help. Handy-man Walter has done an immense amount of the renovation using just one arm and with help from his family.
Everyone who knows Christel and Walter know they are incredibly selfless, kind, and giving. They volunteered in the Edmonton inner city for many years serving breakfast to those in need and now we want to help them. Together they have also raised five wonderful kids (Micah, Jonah, Luke, Laila and Noah) and they have many friends and family who love them dearly.
As the saying goes “What goes around comes around”. Please know that the money raised through this initiative will go towards making a safe and comfortable home for Christel and Walter. Money will also go towards paying for the unforeseen costs that Walter and Christel will likely occur along Walter’s ALS journey.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post and for donating. As Mother Theresa said, "It’s not about how much you give, rather it’s about how much love we put into giving."
From the friends and family of Walter and Christel
Organizer and beneficiary
Micah Laboucane
Beneficiary