Town rallies behind chain-saw carver and his wife, who is battling lung cancer

SEDRO-WOOLLEY — For almost thirty years Nyal Thomas and Jeannie Iona Wall have been partners.

At work, Thomas carves sculptures out of giant cedar logs with a chain saw. Wall follows with a torch and sander for the finishing touches.

They are also husband and wife.

But their life together changed this spring when Wall fell ill with pneumonia and was later diagnosed with lung cancer. They had just moved to Sedro-Woolley, the town where they always dreamed of living. The doctor gave her six months to live.

“All of a sudden she was really sick,” Thomas said. “It was pretty devastating.”

The pair’s lack of health insurance crippled them financially as they tried to cope with the costs of her treatment.

In the meantime, Thomas worked at carving the centerpiece for the 75th Loggerodeo Grand Parade — a bucking truck of logs made from three cedar logs.

The carving was going to be auctioned off Saturday to help fund next year’s Loggerodeo. But officials have decided to give all of the proceeds they receive from the sale of carved truck to Thomas and Wall for medical bills.

When the annual Fourth of July Grand Parade ends Saturday afternoon, the bidding will begin.

JB Bryson, the organizer of the chain-saw competition, said he hopes to raise $5,000 for Wall.

“This is the biggest, most complicated item I have seen in 14 years,” Bryson said.

The 10-foot truck — complete with 18 individually carved tires — remains hidden in Sedro-Woolley until its debut at the parade.

Wall didn’t know she would be receiving the money from the truck her husband carved until she read about it in the paper.

The news brought her to tears, she said as she sat with her husband at the chain-saw competition Friday.

Wall can’t work anymore because the chain-saw smoke and sawdust irritate her lungs.

“That’s what’s so heartbreaking,” Wall said.

But she swings by to visit Thomas anyway.

Thomas carved a fish for the quick carve competition and auction Friday and continued on his bigger carving of a bear carving a human carving a bear for the main competition, which ends Sunday.

Wall wore a bandana Friday, covering her balding head. Other carvers shaved Thomas’ head earlier this week so the two would match.

“They’re like family,” Wall said of the other carvers.

Wall begins another round of chemotherapy next week.

Thomas said when he and his wife heard the diagnosis of cancer they “decided to declare war, not give up.”

Now, they’re getting reinforcements.

• Tahlia Ganser can be reached at 360-416-2148 or at .