By Mase Scarlet
Starting May 1st, Liana Wolf Leg, along with her sisters Tessa and Tia Wolf Leg, her mom Marianne Wolf Leg, and others, will be running every day throughout the month of May as part of a 31-day running challenge across Canada, put on by The Million Reasons Run, a non-profit organization and event to help raise money for the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary. Participants are able to choose their funding goal, as well as the length and location they’d like to run. At the time of this article, she will have spent over 90 days with her son, Brennen Wolf Leg, at the Alberta Children’s Hospital, with another 4–6 weeks of being admitted.
Brennen’s running team is called “Natowohki,” meaning holy water; it was the late Mervin Wolf Leg Blackfoot name, and it was passed on to Brennen as a way to honour both Mervin and Brennen. Members currently include Liana Wolf Leg, Tessa Wolf Leg, Tia Wolf Leg, Marianne Wolf Leg, Noa Paul, Tamona Blackhorse, and Jean-Luc Mudingayi.
Most of Team Natowohki has signed up to do 30k for the month; however, each person will have a different running goal. Lianna shared that they will be doing the challenge around the children’s hospital while Brennen is admitted. “Our teammates are family, as well as a few of Brennen’s nurses and friends. They’re all people who really care about Brennen,” Lianna shared about Team Natowohki.
At the hospital, they help care for Brennen’s disabilities alongside Liana Wolf Leg. His disabilities currently include hypotonic cerebral palsy, autism, epilepsy, global developmental delay, and a rare genetic disorder called “ATR-X.” On social media, Lianna shared, “I’ve decided to join The Million Reasons Run, mainly due to Brennen being in the hospital all the time. We live at the children’s hospital and want to raise funds for a place that is Brennen’s second home.”
Liana has been very vocal about how tough it is to be in the hospital for so long and what that means for normal routines, such as not having a home-cooked meal, having a neglected house that has become a mess, and not being able to sleep in a proper bed. “Some days we don’t eat. We don’t sleep well. It’s stressful,” she shared.
By the end of her cheque, she has $120–$200 to stretch until the next payday to ensure she has enough for gas and meals. “Most times you just skip the meal. Food isn’t important when you need to work. It’s hard, but it’s worth it,” she said.
During her interview with Siksika Media, Liana expressed how much people would be shocked by how much they do and don’t know about disabilities. “If they really took the time to get to know a person, they’d be able to see that they’re more than their physical, mental, or developmental delays. They’re amazing. They’re some of the kindest people you’ll ever meet and the most resilient. They don’t let the bad things get them down; instead, they see the positive in a lot of things,” Liana shared.
“Even if you know anyone doing the run and ask us, ‘Have you run today yet?’ That’s amazing. Accountability is what matters,” Lianna said when asked about how Nation members can help them out. She also shared that donating to The Million Reasons Run and donating to “Team Natowohki” can help. A like or a share can even go a long way, with the link currently up on Liana’s Facebook page, “Lianna Ramone.”
On March 30th, Liana also put in an order for green sweatshirts for Cerebral Palsy Month, with orders closing on April 10th. Nation members and friends helped Lianna place an order of 50 green sweatshirts, with the majority being sold at cost with no upcharge, while four were sold with a $20 profit per sweater.
“I just wanted more awareness for Brennen and didn’t want to charge extra, but Brennen needed new hearing aid molds made. The $80 made from sweater sales went toward paying a majority of those fees, and I paid the other $60 for the repairs,” Liana shared with Siksika Media.
“We need more consistent home care visits and occupational therapists, as we haven’t seen much of either in Brennen’s life. We’ve even tried to look off reserve for help,” said Liana.
Liana also shared how there aren’t any support groups for parents of children with disabilities or events that can be catered to those with disabilities. “We still live life on the fringe of society while trying to ensure our kids are taken care of and loved,” she shared.
As well, Liana spoke about the need for a comprehensive review, which is needed to better understand how children with disabilities and medical conditions are living and whether they are being adequately prioritized. “I was always told people with disabilities walk the closest to the Creator. They’re little earth angels; their spirits were so big and powerful their earthly form couldn’t contain them. They show us to be compassionate, kind, and caring no matter what,” Liana Wolf Leg shared. A community is measured not by what it has, but by how it cares for those who need it most.
Thank you.
Photos taken by Mase Scarlet and provided by Lianna Wolfleg
