Hike For Hope: His Fight, My Footsteps
Story
A Hike For Hope: Raising awareness, funding hope, and reclaiming myself along the way.
Dear family, friends, and kind strangers –
My name is Katy Nelson and I’m reaching out for your support of a deeply personal journey. On May 31st I embark on a solo life-changing adventure of soul searching, self-discovery, & healing by way of the Cotswold Way — a 102-mile hike over 10 days in the UK through the English countryside. Roaming in and out of quaint towns established 500 years ago!
But this isn’t just a trip about personal growth for me.
It’s a walk for my dad.
William Carmen Miller, also known as Mr. Miller, Bill Mill, Coach Miller, Bill Miller, is a retired public school teacher, celebrated high school football coach, a man with a heart of gold, and my caring father. A less known part of my father’s life is his daily battle with Multiple Sclerosis – as he refuses to let this define him. He was diagnosed 30 years ago and has fought through stage after stage of his body turning on him.
Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease that is unpredictable and debilitating. It affects the nervous system by destroying the protective fiber and nerves in the brain and the spinal cord, causing interruptions in the communication between the brain and the rest of the body – significantly limiting mobility. For years I’ve watched my dad face this disease with incredible strength & courage — often without letting most people around him see the full extent of what he is dealing with. It’s devastating, unpredictable and in recent years, we’ve watched its effects reshape not only his life but the lives of my entire family.
My mother, his full-time caregiver, carries the kind of love, strength and patience most people only read about – it is a love that comes with tremendous sacrifice. The physical, mental, and emotional demands for caregiving are immense, often leaving little time or space for her own needs. She is a quiet force of nature, moving through each day with a tenderness that carries the weight of two lives. In caring for my father, she gives endlessly of herself — her time, her strength, her very heart — weaving love into even the smallest moments. Yet behind her gentle smile, there is a quiet exhaustion, a toll that no one can fully see. To watch her is to witness a kind of courage that asks for nothing in return.
Together they have faced the challenges of MS with resilience.
Multiple Sclerosis is slowly attacking his ability to do the very thing most of us take for granted. I want to take the steps he can’t. I want to do the simple thing that has become so hard for him – WALK.
What Brought Me To This Moment
After ten years at a job I thought would be temporary, I found myself quietly shrinking, losing pieces of who I was out of loyalty, routine and obligation. Honestly – I was losing myself in the sea of what other people wanted or expected for me, weighed down by guilt, shame, and self-consciousness, working a job that had nothing to do with the dreams that led me to a college so far away from my family.
When I finally made the decision to leave my job, it felt terrifying. But somewhere deep down, I knew it was time to start listening to the parts of me I had been silencing for years.
This Hike For Hope started out as a way to reintroduce myself to those long-silenced parts of me, to offer them a voice in my life now. This hike is my way of reclaiming those pieces. It’s a pilgrimage through unfamiliar landscapes and long, quiet stretches of road. A journey inward as much as it is forward.
I have always been a multitasker, so if I’m embarking on this grand of an adventure, there had to be a way to make this bigger than just me. This hike is my way of finding clarity and healing through nature, but it’s also a way for me to give back. The purpose of this walk is not only to honor my father and the challenges he faces daily, but also to serve as an embodiment of what MS has eroded from his life. I will carry his spirit with me in each step along the way.
I invite you to join me in raising funds to help support my family’s daily needs as well as continued Multiple Sclerosis research.
Why Your Support Matters
Every dollar counts. Your donation will not only help me achieve my dream of completing this hike, but it will also contribute to vital MS research and support for families like mine who are struggling with the financial burden of MS care. Together, we can help make a real difference.
As federal funding for MS research has been cut, raising awareness and support has never been more urgent. That’s why I’m using this hike as a way to give back — to help fund critical MS research and provide support for my family, who tirelessly care for my dad every single day.
How You Can Help
Donate: Any amount, big or small, will make a real impact.
Share: Please help me spread the word by sharing this campaign with your friends and family.
Follow My Journey: Stay connected with my updates and progress through my social media. Instagram: @katyrose42 TikTok: @katyrosenelson Facebook: Katy Nelson
The Impact of Your Kindness
Here’s how your donation will make a difference:
Family Medical Expenses & Ongoing Care: The costs of treatments, medications, and doctor visits are significant. Your support will help reduce the financial strain on my parents as they continue to navigate this difficult journey. With my mom as the primary caregiver, there are everyday financial stressors that we could help alleviate; property maintenance, accessibility improvements, mobility and care-related equipment not covered by insurance.
Multiple Sclerosis Medical Research: A portion of the funds will be donated to support vital research into finding a cure, advocacy and awareness of this life-altering disease, and resources for those living with MS. With federal funding for MS medical research being cut, fundraising and donations are more impactful than ever!
Travel Expenses: A portion of the funds will go towards my travel expenses of getting me to the Cotswolds so I can complete this journey in his honor.
With Gratitude, Hope, and a Humble Ask
Although I will be traveling solo – I’m not doing this alone. I want to share this experience with you, so I’ll be updating you regularly on my progress—both in terms of my hike and the funds raised on my social channels. From the training leading up to the beginning of my hike to daily updates during my journey, I’ll be taking you along with me!
The Cotswold Way will certainly be a challenge, but it’s nothing compared to the daily battle my father faces. The hike will conclude in Bath on June 9th, which also happens to be my birthday. There’s no better way to celebrate my birthday than by making a difference in my family’s life and in the lives of countless others affected by MS.
I left home at 18 to chase my dreams in Nashville, and while that has made it more difficult to help from afar, this is my way of trying to lighten the load — a tangible act of love for my family and a tribute to my dad’s strength, humor, and heart.
If you’re able, please consider donating to this cause. Every dollar makes a difference, and every share helps spread awareness. If you are unable to contribute financially, a message of support, a share, or simply keeping my family in your thoughts would mean the world.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story and for considering a donation.
I walk for the ones who no longer can, for those still finding the courage, and for anyone standing on the edge of their next chapter, wondering if they have it in them.
You do. And so do I.
Organizers :
Katy Nelson is organizing this fundraiser.