When Premier Brad Wall announced his government would fund clinical trials for a controversial multiple sclerosis treatment this summer, he was making a statement about what avenues of hope should be kept open for those suffering from a debilitating disease.
Although residents of the Battlefords and area don't have a budget in the millions, they were able to send a similar message, one of hope, as they sent three individuals abroad for the liberation treatment.
Gary Gansauge, Gloria Tkachuk and Terry Wakelin travelled to Egypt early this October to undergo treatment, something that would not have been possible without the support of their community.
Through fundraisers and private donations - some from complete strangers, and even from Alberta - the three multiple sclerosis sufferers were able to hope again.
"All three of us have had wonderful support," said Gansauge.
"If it hadn't been for the community support, there's no way I could've gone," said Tkachuk. "I'm so proud to be a member of this community."
She said other people haven't been so lucky, adding in Egypt she met a girl with MS from Montreal, who had maxed out all of her credit cards in order to undergo treatment.
The liberation treatment is actually a very simple procedure that is carried out every day in Canada and the United States, albeit for different conditions. The treatment is based on the research of an Italian doctor, Paolo Zamboni, who discovered a vast majority of MS patients also suffered from a condition called chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency, where blood vessels draining blood from the brain are narrowed, or in some cases, completely blocked.
An angioplasty widens these vessels by using a balloon-type implement and, in certain cases, stents, which are wire-mesh tubes left in place to ensure the vessel doesn't collapse again. Angioplasties are performed every day in Canada for such conditions as coronary artery disease, and are considered minor surgery.
The liberation treatment was initially performed in Canada and the United States, until medical lawyers put a halt to the treatments, forcing hopeful MS patients to spend thousands of dollars to have the treatment performed overseas.
Often, patients can't access follow-up care without travelling overseas again.
Gansauge said, "The thing that's frustrating for us is that we had to go to Egypt and now there's no aftercare," explaining an ultrasound is usually performed to ensure none of the blood vessels have re-collapsed.
Surprisingly, the MS Society is reluctant to support the liberation treatment, allocating only a small portion of their annual budget to researching a treatment that seems to be working for many people.
Although neither Gansauge, Tkachuk or Wakelin want to go so far as to mention the word conspiracy, they can't help but point out that the pharmaceutical industry stands to lose billions of dollars in revenue if the Liberation treatment became standard for MS patients.
Tkachuk said she doesn't buy the excuse that doctors don't know what the fall out from the treatment may be, as many of the drugs she has been prescribed have yet to be fully understood, adding she's suffered horrible side effects from some of her medications, and some didn't help her condition at all.
Gansauge asked, "They can do medical trials, so why can't they do a trial for this?"
Wakelin, who has raised thousands of dollars for the MS Society in the past, has had a change of heart over the issue, and now tells people: "Don't give them anything."
Although all three have witnessed remarkable differences - Tkachuk was able to open her hand for the first time in three years - neither thinks liberation treatment is a cure.
"I had no illusions that I would walk again," said Tkachuk. "If your muscles have atrophied to the point of no return, they're not coming back from that."
Rather, they believe the treatment may halt the progression of the disease. And if that means the difference between walking or spending the rest of their life in a wheelchair, they all agree it's worth it, even if it means undergoing the procedure on a regular basis.
"If it gave you back your life, wouldn't you do it once a year?" asks Tkachuk.
All three wish the treatment was available in Canada, especially for newly-diagnosed patients, as doctors advocating the treatment believe the sooner the treatment is received, the more difference it will make.
Gansauge said he'll never know how much of a difference the treatment made, as people with MS can lose muscle control steadily or suddenly.
"With MS, you don't know where you would've been a year from now," he said.
In the meantime, the three are enjoying the benefits they've seen from the treatment.
And for this, they can't thank the community enough.
"I'm in awe," said Tkachuk. "It's easy to give, it's tough when you have to have your hand out."
Wakelin said of the support the community has given, "You wouldn't believe. But now I believe."
