Katy Doherty, left, and Kelly Walker-Haley pose for a portrait in Walker-Haley's Fort Collins home in this file photo. / coloradoan library
About multiple sclerosis
• According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a “chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system: the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves.”
• The most common symptoms of MS are fatigue, numbness, walking/balance/coordination problems, bladder dysfunction, bowel dysfunction, vision problems, dizziness and vertigo, sexual dysfunction, pain, cognitive dysfunction, emotional changes, depression and spasticity. Less common symptoms include speech disorders, swallowing problems, headaches, hearing loss, seizures, tremors, respiration/breathing problems and itching.
• Diagnosing MS required evidence of damage in at least two separate areas of the central nervous system and that the damage occurred a minimum of one month apart. All other possible diagnoses must be ruled out before MS is considered.
Kelly Walker-Haley has always been a resilient team player committed to living life to the fullest.
“She’s one of the neatest people in the world,” said her brother, Tim Walker Jr. “She’s got so much going for her. She’s an inspiration to people. She’s got a positive attitude, even when things aren’t good.”
For nearly 25 years, Walker-Haley’s resilient spirit has been put to the test and her brother — and entire family — has rallied around her to keep her positive spirit alive.
She’s had to watch her body steadily worsen as multiple sclerosis continually progresses since her diagnosis in November 1988. Initial-ly, she had no idea what MS would mean for her as a young woman pursuing a career in health and exercise science.
“Emotionally, it was a roller coaster,” Walker-Haley said. “I was married. We were a young couple, and we were both determined that we were going to lick this. I was always looking for the ‘can-dos’ instead of the ‘can’t-dos.’ I progressed further into the disease a little more each year.”
In a self-described act of defiance against the disease, she went on to earn a graduate degree in health and exercise science at Colorado State University shortly after her diagnosis. She worked for eight additional years in the department before retiring and pursuing another degree in marriage and family therapy.
Her persistence to carry on motivated her family to start what has become a staple at National Multiple Sclerosis Society races and fundraisers: Team Sugarbee, coined after her childhood nickname.
The team, most commonly known for its appearances and swarm of “bees” at Bike MS events, grew from just a handful of family and friends in its first appearance in 1993 to more than 130 in recent years. In November, the Walker family was inducted into the National MS Society’s Hall of Fame for the support and continual drive to raise funds, awareness and find a cure for people like Walker-Haley.
For her big brother, forming the team and showing his sister the support and love of a community was “the only thing to do.”
“I don’t have the mind to be a medical person and find the cure for MS or the cause of this disease, but I can certainly raise money,” Walker said.
For Walker-Haley, their support means that maybe, just maybe, others in the future won’t have to face the same pain and journey she has — though she still, like her brother says, sees the positive in the road she’s had to travel.
“I don’t want the next generation to face this,” she said. “I don’t want it to continue with my nieces or nephews and the generation behind me ... but at the same time, I think it would have been a lot more difficult for me without the support I’ve had. It’s a journey and I have met so many wonderful people that I might not have met were it not for my disease. Our paths may have never crossed. As someone else once said, ‘MS is a terrible way to meet wonderful people.’ It’s so true.”