Barbara Lawlor, Gilpin County.  John Dunham and Jan Petersen have set goals for their  immediate future and one of them is attending the Christmas mass at St. Rita’s Catholic Church in Nederland. It is not just a goal, it is a challenge for John, who was stricken with a rare form of multiple sclerosis last spring and has been fighting an uphill battle ever since, trying to regain control and build strength in the muscles that allow him to speak, use a computer and walk.

The 47-year old Gilpin County man has a hard time dealing not just with his disabilities but with his emotions which are affected by the symptoms of the disease. He is given to bouts of tears as well as laughter and a box of kleenex is always nearby. A year ago, John had no idea how drastically his life would be changed.

Born in South Denver, Jon attended Cherry Creek High School and then studied math and computer science and business at Fort Lewis. He was an outdoor guy, loved skiing, snowmobiling, ATV adventures and hunting. His expertise in technology led him to Fitzgerald’s Casino and a job as an International Gaming Technology engineer, a job that took him all over the U.S.

In 1998, John and Jan met while they both worked at Harrah’s, now closed. In 2004, the couple were on their way to St. Rita’s when they passed what used to be Pete’s Beaver Creek Inn and saw the small building out front that used to be a general store and Jan said, “That would make a great drive through liquor store.” They got a liquor license and were in business.

Four years ago, John went to work for Halliburton Energy Services. He was shipped off to North Dakota where he lived and worked in the middle of nowhere, working with remotely activated directional drillers that could drill 22,000 ft underground. He and the other workers in the field lived in tent buildings. John was there 24 days and then home for 12 days. North Dakota was too hot, too cold and too barren. But he was moving up in the ranks of the company.

“Then one day last March I woke up and couldn’t talk right, my speech was slurred and one of the workers asked me if I had been drinking. We weren’t allowed to drink at the site,” says John. He went to a local doctor who said he probably had had a small stroke. At this point, one side of his face was sagging.

The doctor sent him to Minot, North Dakota, to the Trinity Hospital where he was given four MRIs, a spinal tap and an EKG.

“He kept telling me not to come up to see him,” remembers Jan.”

But it wasn’t a stroke. The spinal tap results tested positive for MS and John returned to Gilpin County to begin treatment. But the disease hit hard. One morning in June, he couldn’t roll over in bed and when he tried to stand up, his legs gave out on him.

He was given infusions of Solu-Medrol, a one-hour long drip every day for five days and then was put on prednisone for five months, all of this so he could begin the MS drugs. During this time he suffered five flares, which left him unable to walk, his brain could not communicate with his leg muscles, unable to use the computer, his fingers had gone numb and he couldn’t manipulate the keys. He can move his limbs, but the brain cannot speak to them.

John says that by then he had lost everything, he couldn’t speak well, couldn’t drive, couldn’t read and was having to learn many simple activities all over again. By this time, he was okayed to get Tysabri infusions, which is commonly used for MS treatment.

Now he is working on relearning the basics of living, with physical therapy and occupational therapy. Once a week a Mount Evans nurse come to help him work out, rebuild his muscles. At this point, doctors decided that he had to change his medication, that he was testing positive for the JC Virus, which could infect his brain and result in PML cancer or even death.

The new medication has not yet been approved by the FDA and costs $25,000 for every infusion, to be given twice a year. John is scheduled for his first infusion on Dec. 11th, a six-hour procedure. The medications are not covered by insurance.

To help pay for the infusions, Roy’s Last Shot is hosting a benefit on Sunday, Dec. 13 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.. A $15 ticket gets you unending buffet, Music by Heart Beat Events and a great place to watch the Broncos and Raiders Game. There will be $5 raffle tickets for amazing gifts donated by the community.

The medication could help John get his life back. He says, “I have lost my independence, I can’t work, I have lost my pride. This disease took everything away overnight.”

John’s son Harrison has become his caretaker, helping him practice speech, mind exercises and physical therapy exercises.

Harrison says, “It is tough, but he gets up every day and keeps working. He’s making the steps and feeling better, but we are hoping the infusions will allow his brain to repair itself. He wants to be independent and now with help, he can get up. The other day he even sat up in bed using his trunk strength. Neurologically, we have no idea what the future holds for him. It is different for every MS patient.

Besides making it to Mass at St. Rita’s, the couple’s other goals include getting John to outpatient therapy and the use of a swimming pool. He says he can still do math and trig, but he can’t speak because his mouth muscles are delayed. Jan says that when he cusses, however, he is perfectly clear.

John has a bright smile, a gleam in his eyes and wants to get back to his insanity workouts someday.

They are both hoping that all of his present “can’ts” will end in “yet.”

According to the therapists who are working with him, “He’s got a lot of grit.”