Michael and Trude Lisagor rally a walk to fight the disease.
The path to enlightenment may not be smooth. But if Trude and Michael Lisagor get their wish, this year’s Bainbridge MS Walk will be.
“We’re hoping to get as many things right this year as we can,” said Michael. He, Trude and a small organizing committee have put together the island’s first annual MS LifeLines MS Walk, set for April 14.
The Lisagors said that far from being an athletic competition, the walk is a whole-family event designed for people of all abilities. The route was planned with accessibility in mind, from manageable street grades to workable sidewalks to rest points and restrooms.
Bainbridge High School will serve as the start and end point, where participants can nosh on food and drink donated by Bainbridge Island BBQ, Pegasus and Bon Bon.
They can also visit a special “Experience MS” tent and don “drunken” glasses, attempt to manipulate small objects while wearing large rubber gloves and try to walk on uneven surfaces.
While secondary to fund-raising, Trude said, this type of education is vital because a lot of people don’t understand what multiple sclerosis is – they often mistake it for muscular dystrophy, the disease that comedian Jerry Lewis brought into popular consciousness.
Trude herself has MS, a chronic degenerative disease of the central nervous system that can affect mobility, balance and vision.
Ten years ago, when the couple was living in Virginia, Trude’s first MS-related episode left her paralyzed from the waist down.
After nearly 30 years together, the couple’s established routine disintegrated as Trude – wife, mother, teacher – was no longer strong and hyper-capable.
Michael learned to shoulder a heavier burden at home, but went through depression and “dealt with a lot of typical male issues.”
Trude was forced to acknowledge her own limitations.
“I had to learn to be more accepting of help. I was always the giver,” she said.
Trude eventually regained mobility with the help of a weekly injection of an interferon drug that slows the disease’s progression. As soon as she could move, she and Michael put on their shoes and began leading Team Lisagor in annual MS Walks.
The Lisagors also maintained the twice-daily chanting ritual they began in 1969 when they became practicing Buddhists. This strong spiritual foundation enabled them to translate Trude’s disease into positive life change.
Michael quit his job as an information technology executive to become an independent management consultant. He also began writing and taking photographs.
Trude stopped teaching full-time and picked up a paintbrush.
The Lisagors discovered Bainbridge three years ago at the tail end of one of their yearly trips to British Columbia.
Among other benefits, the area’s climate was far easier on Trude’s nervous system than muggy Virginia.
Within minutes of arriving in Winslow, they knew that Bainbridge had everything they wanted. Except an MS Walk.
Armed with boundless enthusiasm and a thorough written proposal, the pair convinced the National MS Society’s Greater Washington chapter to let them start one. While the chapter reps were ambivalent at first, the Lisagors swayed them.
“They couldn’t resist us,” said Trude.
Nor could local businesses, several of which jumped in with early support, including Island Fitness and Ihland Garden Dental Care.
City Hall also made a strong showing. City Councilman Kjell Stoknes, the Lisagors’ close friend, participated in early planning efforts. City Administrator Mary Jo Briggs took charge of walk registration. Mayor Darlene Kordonowy may put together a team to walk.
With just under a month to go, 21 teams and more than 180 walkers have raised roughly $17,000 for the MS Society to help fund research, services and assistance.
By the time the Home Town Band heralds the start, the Lisagors hope to have enlisted 250 participants and raised $40,000.
The Lisagors believe that the island’s already significant response has a lot to do with MS’s wide reach; the Pacific Northwest has nearly the highest incidence of MS in the world. Trude said she and Michael have discovered many people on the island who have the disease or know someone with it.
“People are connected to it,” she said.
The Lisagors’ Winslow townhouse is filled with Trude’s paintings, Michael’s photographs and some collaborative artistic efforts. They both work from home. They’ve created exactly the balanced life they sought after Trude was diagnosed.
They realize how fortunate they are to have such a firm foundation in their spirituality, their community and each other.
“So many people go through this alone,” said Michael.
They’re also certain that they’ll be organizing a second annual MS Walk.
“This is going to be a great event annually,” Michael said. “People who wouldn’t otherwise intersect are intersecting over this.”
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The MS LifeLines MS Walk takes place April 14, 2007 at Bainbridge High School. To register as a company, school or individual team, visit www.nationalmssociety.org/was or call 1-800-FIGHTMS. For general information, see www.celerityworks.com/mswalk.html.
