Help A Young Millwright Hit by MS

On behalf of our brother Dan Campbell, a young B.C. millwright with advanced MS, we are reaching out for your support.

Dan Campbell is a Red Seal millwright from Quesnel, B.C., who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis seven years ago at age 32. There are many kinds of MS, none of which are curable, but his was the fastest-moving, and within a couple of years he could no longer drive or work on his truck or cook the meals he was famous for as an amateur chef and keen garlic farmer. The illness upended his life, as he went from being strong enough to lift a motor to being now unable to lift a spoon.

Two years ago, he left the farm he loved and went into the full-time care of our brother, Drew, in Mission, BC. Drew took Dan to work with him every day at his automotive fabrication shop, where Dan gave advice from his wheelchair while Drew did the heavy lifting, including carrying, feeding and bathing his big brother. Last year, as Dan’s health continued to decline, a private caregiver was hired to take care of Dan when he wasn’t well enough to leave his bed. By last Christmas Dan was in and out of hospital, in extreme pain, and needed 24-hour medical care. In January 2024, he was admitted to a hospice in Mission.

Despite being told he only had days to live, he has pulled through so far, astounding us all with his strength and courage. These days he has trouble speaking or moving and can only blink once for yes, twice for no.

How You Can Help

The hospice is publicly subsidized, but also charges monthly fees, and we have continued to pay for the wonderful private caregiver who spends several hours a day feeding him and caring for his every need at his bedside, since family can’t be there 24/7. She is committed to keeping his spirits up, and recently wrote to the stars of his favourite auto show, Fab Rats, who sent him an autographed T-shirt, which now hangs in his hospice room. She also bundles him up and wheels him outdoors so he can feel the sun on his face.

As Dan’s family, we need to continue to provide this important care and companionship for him in his final months, but funds are running low and the extra costs are not covered by government. We have had to shorten his caregiver’s hours, but those costs still come to more than $4000 a month, on top of the $1500 monthly hospice fee. We can’t know how long Dan has, but we want his last months to be as full of loving care as possible, a reflection of the good kind man he has always been.

Please join us in contributing whatever you can to making his last months as comfortable as they can be for our much-loved brother.