SCOTSBURN, N.S. — Isaac Fraser has never walked. He has never talked. But, he’s always smiling.
“He doesn’t let it bother him too much,” says Isaac’s mother, Sarah Fraser. ”He doesn’t let it hold him back. He’s in his wheelchair just ‘go, go, go’. “
Isaac was diagnosed with a form of Muscular Dystrophy when he was just eight months old. He’s now seven years old.
“It obviously affected him,” says Sarah. “He’s never walked or talked, but he maintains a happy, friendly personality despite it.”
Despite the challenges they’ve faced, Sarah says they’re so thankful to have Isaac in their lives.
“We love him. He’s a huge blessing in our family.”
Isaac was this year’s Pictou County Walk for Muscular Dystrophy ambassador. The walk was held on Saturday, June 22 in Scotsburn and saw more than $5,000 raised.
Walk coordinator Pat Fagan said they were happy to see a good turnout despite it being a dark and rainy day.
“For us as firefighters when we do a boot drive, we don’t necessarily get to see the people that are affected,” he said, referring to the boot drives held regularly to fundraise for MD.
But this is their chance once a year to meet these people and see how their work is helping.
“A lot of families who have had family members pass away in previous years, they still come out and be part of it,” Fagan said.
One such person is John Jardine, who walked in memory of his son Jamie. Jamie passed away at the age of 34 from the disease.
“There’s a lot of good memories,” Jardine said. “I was talking to his school bus driver yesterday. He remembers the big smile.”
He believes walks like the one held Saturday are good because they allow families affected by MD to interact with each other.
“They’ll see other people live along with it,” he said.
One of the guests in attendance this year was Helle Haven Achurch, a service specialist with Muscular Dystrophy Canada.
“My job is basically to spend the money you raise and I promise you I’m doing it in a very careful way,” she told the crowd gathered for the walk. “When we have clients who come to us and they’re in need of equipment or services they can’t afford, we’re able to give them that help.”
She said it feels incredible to be able to offer that direct support to families in need of equipment as basic as a wheelchair.
“We are one of the last charities around who actually give out financial assistance,” she said.
