Help Paul & His Family

Paul is married and has 3 kids, 2 of which have left home and a 15 year old daughter who is still at home. Paul suffers from Myasthenia Gravis and this disease has been both stressful and an emotional toll on the whole family.

Myasthenia Gravis is a chronic autoimmune disease marked by muscular weakness without atrophyand caused by a decect in action of acetylcholine at neuromuscular junction. It is characterized by weakness and rapid fatigue of muscles under your voluntary control.

Myasthenia Gravis is caused by a breakdown in normal communication between nerves and muscles. There is no cure. In some cases medications can help relieve signs and symptoms. Paul suffers weakness or arms, legs, muscles, dropping eyelids, difficulties with speech, chewing, swallowing and breathing.

Paul was diagnosed in 2012 with this disease and with meds it kept it under control with no other symptoms. In the beginning of March Paul felt like he had a flu bug. Then early one morning in March Paul told me I needed to take him to emergency as he thought he was having a heart attack.

After many visits to emergency and seeing so many specialists and lots of tests we were finally able to get into the Neurologist who ran more tests and realized his Myasthenia Gravis was taking over his body. They tried upping his medicine to control the disease, but meds aren't enough.

On Oct 16th, 17th and 18th Paul is scheduled for 5 hours on each of those days to have IVIG treatments at the hospital. It can take up to 2 weeks before we see if it works. If the treatment works he will have to go in every month for life.

Paul is a big Halloween nut and has put on a small haunted house for 20 years, It's only been the last 3 years that he has decided to go as big and take donations of cash or food to the Kelowna food bank. Last year he brought in with the help of friends and family 4500 pounds of food and $2400.00 in cash. 3000 people went through over 4 days. This years haunted house wouldn't happen without friends and family helping set up. And being able to help work it.

Paul is all about helping people. Paul really misses working in the mechanic shop at transit.

Please help Paul and his family if you can and let's see them through their hard times.