Air Force Warrior is DOWN - Needs Help!

UPDATE:

Mike has been moved to a Residential Rehabilitation Facility where he continues to improve on a daily bases (and his wife was allowed to break him out for a very short car ride). Mike's doctors unwired his jaw today but it will be a week or two before he can open his mouth wide enough to bite anything or yell at his bride or nurses for anything they may have (or have not) done. LOL

Mike is in good spirits - but he has a VERY long road ahead of him as does his bride. As always, if you have questions, please feel free to reach out. I will not release any "sensitive information." If you're a Veteran, you know what I'm referring to.

Thank you all for your Caring and Sharing!

Mike needs our help!

After serving more than 20 years in the United States Air Force, Mike finally got to retire this summer and start his new chapter with his wife, daughter and his dog. Mike was an avid outdoorsman, a family man who loved to dance with his bride and swim with his daughter. Welding tongs at the BBQ was a common sight for all the friends who would come by their Arizona home. A majority of these people are also Service Members or Veterans.

On October 12th, after relocating to Gilbert, Arizona to start his new civilian career, Mike was heading home on his bike, Southbound when an impaired driver turned left directly in front of him in. Mike was on his Harley doing 45MPH, the drunk driver was in a Tahoe, there was no time for Mike to even react! The impact was devastating. The driver was arrested for aggravated assault in addition to other charges.

The only reason Mike is even alive today is because of his helmet and the fact that his Apple Watch alerted and sent out an SOS to police and fire. The ambulance was enroute in minutes. Mike’s wife was notified by the Apple watch as well and when Mike didn’t answer the phone, she immediately called 911. They directed her to meet the ambulance at the hospital. Mike was in bad shape.

Heart Surgery, Traumatic Brain Injury, Massive Facial Fractures, Neck Injury, Shattered Jar (wired shut), Shattered Hip and Pelvis, Shattered Leg, and more than a month in the ICU.

Mike has now been moved to specialized rehab facility. Military insurance covers some, but it certainly doesn’t cover it all, even after more than 20 years of service. Mike is currently working on learning how to simply stand up again. How to pet his dog when the staff moves his bed outside for some much needed fresh air. How to identify colors… All the things we take for granted day in and day out.

Mike’s wife is trying so hard. She is a military wife and she always knew Mike was putting himself in harm’s way whenever he was in uniform, but he’s retired now and it was supposed to be different. She is a mother so she must be strong, but seeing your spouse in this condition is traumatizing to her too. She is trying to work, but she works from home and the home feels alien to her with Mike gone.

Thanksgiving was non-existent; She just couldn’t bring herself do it. Christmas will be different. Her family and friends are forcing her to put up a few decorations and buy a few gifts, but still, it’s just not right.

This is not something any one of us can help or impact anything like all of us working together can. I have never done this, but I am reaching out to ask YOU, a complete stranger, for your help on behalf of Mike, his wife, his daughter and his dog. Any amount will help offset Mike’s loss of income and pay the bills that no insurance covers, not to mention the medical bills which no one can even anticipate at this time.

I promise to keep this updated and keep you informed of Mike’s progress as best I can. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and caring about an American Service Member.