<div>Over the solstice weekend, Mike and Julia gathered family and friends to celebrate their love and renew their vows in Two Rivers, Alaska. Unfortunately, the celebration did not go as planned, and Mike was involved in a serious UTV accident. <strong>The vehicle flipped, trapping his arm underneath the thousand-plus-pound machine in their driveway and degloving it from the elbow down.</strong> Remarkably, despite the traumatic circumstances, Mike had the presence of mind to remove his belt and fashion a tourniquet, effectively controlling the blood loss. His arm was wrapped in a shirt as friends and family rushed to his aid. After calling 911, Julia and a family friend, who is an ICU nurse, transported Mike to intercept the dispatched ambulance, where he was subsequently transferred.

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<div>Upon arriving at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, doctors took images of his injuries and sent the results to Anchorage, the designated hospital for his transfer. <strong>After reviewing the imaging, the Anchorage team recommended that he be medevacked directly to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, renowned for its top hand surgeons who could save his arm and hand.</strong>

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<div>Since then, Mike has undergone multiple rounds of debridement to clean the grit and gravel embedded in his muscle. <strong>The good news is that his surgeons said he will keep his arm and fingers!</strong> They even played heavy metal music for him in the operating room, and he dozed off to Pantera as they began one of many surgeries. He's in really great hands.

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<div>Currently, he has use of his pinky, ring, and middle fingers, but his pointer finger and thumb remain non-functional. They hope to address this with reconstructive surgery once the arm is free of infection risk. Following that, he will require a series of reconstruction surgeries and skin grafts. <strong>Doctors estimate that he will be in Seattle for 2 to 4 weeks to ensure proper recovery and monitoring.</strong> After that, he will be allowed to return home but will need to visit periodically for further surgeries and checkups.

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<div>Mike will need months of rehabilitation and will miss the entire fire season. Julia will also need to take 2 to 4 weeks off work to be by his side at the hospital. Fortunately, Mike has excellent insurance through the state Midnight Sun Hotshot policy, and close friends of the couple are actively working on funding through the Wildland Firefighter Foundation and other relief organizations to help cover medical costs.

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<div><strong>While we are hopeful that most medical bills will be covered, the loss of income, travel to and from Seattle, and expenses for lodging and food will add up quickly, and monthly bills will begin to accumulate.</strong> We want to ensure that this situation does not jeopardize their future together and the life they built for themselves in Alaska.

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<div>Mike and Julia are incredibly grateful for all the friends and family who traveled from the lower 48 to support them during this challenging time, helping ensure that their wedding celebration went off smoothly, even in their absence. <strong>Your assistance in cleaning, organizing, and providing support has meant the world to them.</strong>

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<div><strong>If you can donate or share this message to help Mike and Julia navigate this difficult period without added financial stress, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!</strong>

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Anonymous

AFS Employee Association

Michael Riker

Barbara Ocoy

Chuck Wamack

Allen Schultze

Noah Hutson

US Hotshots Association

Kyle Clendenen

Bill & Nancy Beichner

Tasha Shields

Clinton Mitchell

Ted Kenyon

Andrew Smith

Alana Vilagi

Aid for Mike's Surgeries and Recovery Journey

Aid for Mike's Surgeries and Recovery Journey

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