Knights of Columbus raise $1,800 for MS Walk

Intermountain Catholic

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Katie Wellmann (front) participates in the 19th Annual MS Walk with her husband Michael and Knights of Columbus from 11 councils throughout the Diocese of Salt Lake City. Photo courtesy of Andy Airriess

SALT LAKE CITY — Fifty-five Knights of Columbus from 11 councils from Ogden to Payson and their family members participated in the 19th Annual Multiple Sclerosis Walk at the Gateway Mall April 12.

This year they walked and raised money in honor of Katie Wellmann who has multiple sclerosis. Wellmann is a member of Saint Joseph the Worker Parish, West Jordan.

"We are inspired to walk by parishioners who have multiple sclerosis (MS)," said Andy Airriess, Knight of Columbus state council community director, and Grand Knight of St. Joseph the Worker Parish. "We have participated for the past three years.

"This year the Knights raised $1,800 for the Utah Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society," said Airriess. "We ranked second in the state with the MS Society for the amount collected by a non-profit organization. The money will be used to help those with MS improve their quality of life through programs and services including information and referral, support groups, education workshops, financial assistance, exercise programs, advocacy, medication, and education.

The Multiple Sclerosis Society mission statement is "MS stops people from moving. We exist to make sure that it doesn’t."

Wellmann said she feels blessed because she looks at others who have very debilitating diseases, and she has been able to stay active. Whether it has been through her diet, her attitude, or the support she has received from her immediate and extended family, she has been able to weather MS pretty well.

"My sister Annette, who lives in Alaska said, ‘You are my hero.’ "Why would I be your hero?" asked Wellmann. "My sister said because you keep pushing on. I said that is because I am stubborn. But it made me feel good that she said I am her hero. I could let this get the best of me, but where would that get me – only in a wheelchair.

"My neurologist said I was on a slow downhill course, but I thought isn’t every human being on a downhill course right now?" said Wellmann. "So it doesn’t even bother me. My Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) showed active MS, but not hugely active MS. So I put my wants and my desires out into the world. What I really would like is to be cured of my MS, but if I can’t be cured, I would at least like to get rid of the muscle pain I feel in my lower hip area."

Wellmann said MS is an auto immune deficiency disease and many members of her family have various auto immune deficiencies. Her youngest brother has MS so bad he is already in a wheelchair. Her older sister has eczema and psoriasis. Another sister and a brother have liver problems. So the doctors thinks her MS is hereditary.

"When I was 19 years old we were living in Cheyenne, Wyo., and I was dating Michael Wellmann, the man I married," said Wellmann. I had a problem with blocked vision in my right eye. I went to the doctor and they did a test which determined I was missing lights in a certain area in my eye. The doctor said I had optic neuroritis, which is a deterioration of the optic nerve. He handed me a book and said he would like me to read it. The book said 85 percent of people with optic neuroritis will develop MS within five to 10 years. I came out of the doctor’s office and went home and cried.

"Then when I was 25 years old and working extremely hard as a checker at Safeway Store because my husband would get laid off in the winter, I noticed my checking coordination was off. I had always been so absolutely coordinated and could just buzz through someone’s order. So in November I called a neurologist and they could not get me in until January unless I had a referral. But on Dec. 14, I woke up with a sharp pain in my eye whenever I looked sideways. I thought what is going on and took an aspirin and then got sick to my stomach. I called my doctor at 6 a.m. and told him my problem. He told me to come in. Well, I had a 2 year old and a 3 year old. So my sister watched them and my mother took me to the doctor."

Two days later while Wellmann was waiting to have a spinal tap, they were playing Christmas music and she started to cry.

"I told my mother I don’t want to die," said Wellmann. "The doctor determined I had MS, and he said your first bout with MS was your optic neuroritis at 19. This was a hard time, and although I was relieved it was only MS, it was Christmas and I had to lay on the couch and could hardly lift my head for 10 days. I was nauseated because my equilibrium was off balance."

Wellmann decided checking was too hard on her body so she got a job as the district manager’s personal secretary for Safeway.

"I no longer had to stand," said Wellmann. "Standing and walking fatigue me terribly. I took care of 18 stores and I loved that job."

Wellmann has had MS for 33 years and she is still walking.

"I have had this for a long time, but I had a great neurologist in Cheyenne, and I asked him if he would be my friend," said Wellmann. "He asked what does that entail? I said you will have to listen to me whenever I call because I am never ever going to call you unless I need you. But when you hear my name I want you to say you will listen. He did. His mother had MS too."

Wellmann, her husband, and two daughters moved to Salt Lake City in 1994, on Halloween Day so her husband could take a new job with Union Pacific Railroad. Wellmann started working part-time for Fred Meyer and Jordan School District for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and then the school district full time. Wellmann is now trying to get on disability.

"I always said if I could get a full time position with the school district, I would leave Fred Meyer because they had good insurance benefits. People would say, ‘Yeah right.’ You know I said I am not going to talk the talk, I am going walk the walk. So when the position came up I applied. They said they needed me yesterday. I became pretty proficient in braille and the nemeth code for math."

Wellmann said with MS she not only deals with a lot of fatigue, but she also has bouts with depression and muscle pain which really drag her down. She tries to stay active and limber to keep the knots out of her muscles. She has massages to help relieve tension and pain.

"My relationship with my husband has never not had MS in it and we have been married 32 years," said Wellmann, as tears welled up in her eyes. "So my husband has had to put up with my moods, but he is still with me so I commend him.

Wellmann has a great sense of humor that keeps her going. She also likes to take care of people, which she says gives her a purpose in life. An elderly couple lives across the street. The husband is 97 and the wife is 96. So they don’t eat soup every day, Wellmann helps fix lunch for them.

"For some reason I think God brought them to me to give me a purpose to stay well," said Wellmann. "They just love to listen to my tales and I like to help them.