Mike Walsh

We walk in memory of my amazing brother Mike

Mike was my little brother. He was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in February 2015. Prior to his diagnosis, life was going really well for Mike. He had recently graduated from the University of Victoria with his teaching degree. Throughout university, Mike worked part-time at the Victoria Airport on the grounds crew and he really enjoyed the job. Mike wasn’t able to find a full time teaching position right away, but he was hired on permanently with the airport after graduation. Mike loved the west coast life, especially surfing.

My brother was diagnosed in Victoria, and was airlifted to Vancouver immediately to start treatment. I was able to travel to Vancouver with my wife and 1-year old son, to spend time with Mike. Mike needed a stem cell transplant, but unfortunately, my sisters and I weren’t a match. They eventually found him a donor from Germany and the stem cell transplant took place in May 2015. It really took a toll on him, but he reached the celebratory 100 days post-transplant in September 2015 and was really doing well. He celebrated reaching his 100 days post stem cell transplant by going to a Foo Fighters concert. Shortly after that, we all travelled to Ottawa, to walk in the Light The Night walk with our entire family. Mike was so proud to walk as a survivor that evening, and he loved it being a part of Light The Night and stated he would participate in the walk every year thereafter. The event meant so much to him after all he had been through.

Less than a month after the walk, Mike had relapsed. After learning of his relapse, we quickly put together a wedding for my brother and his fiancée. They were married on December 4, 2015 in Ottawa. Guests flew in from all over the country to celebrate their love. Mike’s health started to quickly deteriorate shortly after their wedding. In January 2016, they tried some last ditch treatment options in the hopes that something might work, but it didn’t. My brother asked to be released from the hospital, and about a week later, passed away at our parents’ house on January 26th, 2016 – a day we will never forget.

We held three celebrations of life for Mike (Hamilton, Regina & Victoria) because he was so important to those who knew him. I always knew that Mike was special as the “brotherly bond” we had was something indescribable. But at his celebration of life in Victoria, when I was listening to his friends and colleagues talk about him -- I realized how truly special he really was to others and how many lives he had touched. He made such an impact on those around him and it was evident with each speech made. At the end of the celebration of life in Victoria, Mike’s ashes were spread on Jordan River, his favorite place to surf. In the weeks and months that followed, his colleagues at the airport made a memorial garden for him on the grounds. It’s a beautiful rock garden, with a large scale colored photo of him.

Losing Mike has been hard on us all, as we were always so hopeful. Mike was always so hopeful. There’s still healing going on for all of us. I lost a piece of myself when he passed, but there are still certain signs that make me feel that he is still around, and still with us. My brother’s passing has taught me so much about life. I look at things differently now -- the big picture of life and how fragile it is. It’s taught me to never to take life for granted, as it can change so suddenly. The Light The Night event is very special to me, and we walk each year in his honour. We participated in the first 2 walks in Ottawa, and the last 3 in Calgary. This year will be our 6th year participating in Light The Night.

Three words, to describe LTN? Emotional, Comforting & Tribute