Ilwaco fishing family struggles against waves of bad news

By Meghan Kalkstein, KATU News Published: Jan 17, 2013 at 2:48 PM PDT
Ilwaco fishing family struggles against waves of bad news »Play Video
Mikey Shedore

ILWACO, Wash. – A Washington state family is at the breaking point after a series of tragedies and the latest round of bad news has hit them especially hard.

“It’s all… happened so quickly,” Bea Shedore said.

In 2011, Bea’s husband Mike was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, rendering the long-time fisherman into a dependent who must type his words into a computer to communicate.

In 2012, his fishing boat, the Two Mikes, named for father and son, was involved in an accident and sank while employees were at the helm. The family’s life savings and economic stability sank along with it.

"I have to depend on people for everything. I was independent,” Mike tapped out on his computer when KATU News talked to him in July of 2012.

This past fall, Mike suffered a heart attack and had more medical complications. He is now in a care facility.

Then last month, during Christmas break, young Mikey, age 6, complained of pain in his back. The heart-breaking diagnosis: Leukemia.

Bea has been by his side in the hospital for a week as he undergoes blood draws and sits in a hospital bed, an IV dripping nearby. Mikey struggles to walk.

"I feel so helpless because you want to do everything to make him better, but you can't,” Bea said.

Bea had been hoping for a respite from the bad news piling up against her family. "New Years I prayed: 'Please, God, let this be a good year.' This was like [January] 8th when it happened,” she said.

"I'm falling apart, but I gotta be strong for everybody,” Bea added. She is also taking care of twin babies, which Mikey was helping with before he fell ill.

Mikey is going through treatments twice a week for a month, but they expect he'll be dealing with his cancer for more than three years.
    
The Shedore's say their community in Ilwaco has stepped up to help them out by starting a donation account at the Bank of the Pacific and creating a benefit to help the family financially.
    
There is also a Facebook page dedicated to Mikey’s struggle with cancer.