Ex-Pro Motocross Mike Young Junior
AFTER 19 YEARS, PARAPLEGIC NEEDS
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Who: Mike Young, Junior ~ex-Professional Motocross Champion
What: Plead for financial assistance for 19 year paraplegic with major medical Urinary Tract Infection
Where: Rancho Cucamonga, California
Why: After doctors have utilized types of Antibiotics there is a virus bug that has not been killed.
When: Today is June 16, 2016
By: Don Schneider
Greeting to all friends and family of the motocross world:
Those who know Mike Young, Jr. in the dirt bike racing Motocross and Supercross world, might know me as well. I happen to be a professional photojournalist who was on location and took the final photos when Mike’s motorcycle came up a few feet short on a double at a national caliber facility in Southern California. Watching thru the camera lens, and hearing the crowd gasping, I did not know the accident we were witnessing would be the last time he would be able to challenge for the 1997 American Motorcyclist 4-Stroke National Motocross Championship that two year later I would be organizing and became the President.
While he laid all twisted face down, I ran across the track and watched and listened to several medics and one other, Mike Healey. I recall asking a man holding a “Pit Board” if I could use it for a while? The medics had turned Mike over and Mike Young, Jr. was facing the sky, complaining about the sun in his eyes and how he could not move his legs. I stood there holding the “Pit Board” over him in order to shadow. He said, “thanks to whoever did that”.
That afternoon I drove to the hospital where he was Life Flighted. I arrived to learn he was paralyzed from the waist down, compressing his spinal cord. I then stayed with him that night and the next day.
Well, guess that has been 19 years ago since that paralyzing accident on April 27, 1997. I can’t believe it’s been 19 years, as I have mind visions like it was just yesterday.
To quote Off-Road.com (October 1997),
“What are your plans for the future? Rehabilitation! My insurance company has told me, "We have given you as much as we can give you," which isn't even a quarter of what you need. That's why I'm doing a fund-raiser with the T-shirt sales so I can earn enough money to go back into therapy. The therapy is the most important part. They say in the first two years you are going to get back the most of whatever you will get back.
Mike added: There are a lot of things people don't know about, like you can't pee on your own, you have to catheter yourself 4 or 5 times a day. The public needs to be made aware of what it's really like. Mike Young Jr. desperately needs financial help with his medical and therapy costs. The Mike Young Jr. New Life Fund has created two fantastic shirts that you can purchase. The proceeds from these shirts will go to further pay his never ending medical bills, and further rehabilitation. He needs your help! The shirts are as follows:
The "National Champion" four color shirt. This shirt is priced at $15.00 each.
It's available in small, medium, large, x-large and xx-large.
Add $2.00 for xx-large.
Add $2.00 shipping and handling charges.
The "support shirt" is a black and white. It's still a really cool shirt! And for the price, it's a great bargain! These shirts are priced at $10.00 each.
It's available in small, medium, large, x-large and xx-large.
Add $2.00 for xx-large.
Add $2.00 shipping and handling charges.
Send your order to:
Mike Young Jr. New Life Fund
1042 N. Mountain Ave., Suite B, #361
Upland, Ca. 91786
or fax it to: [phone redacted] or e-mail it to: [email redacted].net
To quote ATVrider.com: Mike Young, Jr. competed in The West Coast Pro Trucks series, and his enthusiasm was channeled into the world of racing, once again. On four wheels he could still be a strong competitor, thanks in part to the automatic transmissions in the Pro Truck series. It took a few years, but by 2003, he had a race team put together and by the end of that season was named Rookie of the Year at California's Irwindale Speedway. In 2004, he became the first driver to win a heat race in a NASCAR weekly racing series while confined to a wheelchair. Young was on fire, almost setting a new Irwindale track record when he qualified for the pole position at the last race of the '04 season. In his first race of '05 he started on the pole, but he competed in only two of 13 events as he decided to take some time off to gear up for the '06 season. Young doesn't spend all of his time making left-hand turns on the track in his #10 Ford F-150 or tearing it up in his way-too-fun Rhino. He has another preoccupation: spending time at a local rehab hospital helping others who just suffered a paralyzing accident. "There is a lot to learn when this type of thing happens to a person," Young said. "This is something I do on my off time, for the sake of helping those in need."
Mike had another unfortunate accident 6 years ago in 2010 where a doctor accidentally dropped him from the observation table, resulting in a broken leg. That has been another major setback financially, physically and mentally.
Up to that time, Mike was able to compete in those Truck Racing and Triathlons, however he had to give up his hand-cycle bicycle due to that leg injury.
Mike has been telephoning me lately here in 2016 and has agreed to letting all know the following:
By Mike Young: What's really scarey that I wanted to tell you is that over the 19 years in this chair I have had numerous infections in the bladder to where I used up most antibiotics. Now I'm left with only iv meds. And I think the last one I had that didn't work was the decks from top. So this is where my dear life is. I want to know what to do to get rid of this one. Then what to do to love the rest of my years. Very scarey stuff. Other than sitting here typing you with a stupid fever and chills. I'm worn out my friend, as I've been battling this thing for two months. Scared I'm gonna wind up in hospital care very shortly:(
Mitch Kirkpatrick and Sandi took these pictures of The Eastern 4-Stroke National Motocross Champion Mike Young and his mechanic Russ Fletcher (RIP sir) back in the day. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10209487779009818&set=p.10209487779009818&type=3&theater¬if_t=like¬if_id=1466094211244874
Update todayJune 16, 2016 @ 9:00 am. Pacific Standard Time zone. Mike has been fighting a terrible medical problem with a major urinary infection that took him back to the doctor yesterday. He has used two different Antibiotics over the past two months which haven't been able to kill the virus. He ran out of the last prescription eight days ago. He couldn't afford more medicine and has had to work in dire pain in order to pay for his living expenses. A majority of us have no clues to his pain and after I saw the new movie "You Before Me" last weekend it has finally caught up to me after 19 years. Yes, Mike has been battling with being a paraplegic that long. Please, if he can get more financial help from us via a "Go Fund Me" account he can get the medical drugs that his body needs. I was told his tests are to be diagnosed by later tomorrow so the doctor can prescribe one of the other two available Antibiotics that he can't afford to pay for. In the past 19 years he has battled with more than we can imagine. Please "SHARE" this post.. thank you for your time.
To quote: “Mike has many many friends out in the world that care and love him. I think he has touched many of our lives in many ways that he will never know. At this time in his life it would mean the world if we could all come together to help him out.”
Here is a YouTube video of our friend: https://youtu.be/eAyQX0GTceU
Here is a great Podcast of Mike Young, Jr produced by Brad Gebhart of BigMxRadio.com: http://bigmxradio.com/podcast/mike-young-gun-young/
And with a few photos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doluh6Uw0ug
Thank you for reading, now can you help?
