Emergency Help for Michael Hanson & Family

Friends, family, tribe and online community, we urgently need your help for our friends Michael Hanson, Theresa and Mateo Salazar.

On Sunday there was a fire at their house in Neah Bay, which is on Makah tribal land in northwest Washington state, which is a ferry ride and four hours from Seattle.

Michael was the only one home at the time. He was upstairs in his room when he smelled something and quickly realized that the house was filling with smoke. He tried to get downstairs but it was too hot and smokey. He called 911, but cell service is bad out there so 911 had trouble hearing him and patching him through to the correct fire department.

As the house filled with smoke, Michael yelled out his second-story window for help, but nobody came. His cat and dog were with him, and in the terrifying moment when he felt he couldn’t wait any longer, Michael had to drop them out the window. He then attempted to climb out and lower himself, but he slipped and got hurt badly. When EMTs arrived, he was airlifted to Providence Medical Center in Everett and spent a day and a half in the ER before getting surgery on his arm. He has 3 broken ribs, a lumbar fracture, broken arm and dislocated elbow, which will need at least one more surgery. He is in a lot of pain and is staying at the hospital for now, being supported by his mom Theresa, cousins Frannie and Jessica, stepdad Mateo, aunt Anne, a team of incredible doctors and nurses, and his friends, including me.

I first met Michael at Peninsula College around 2005. He gave me his friendship card, which is like a business card, but cooler. It had his nickname (Rupert Batman, which I usually shorten to R-ba) phone number, MySpace page, a drawing of a cat and the words, “If I won’t be your friend, no one will!” He has been my friend ever since! He is one of the kindest, smartest and funniest people I have ever met.

Many of you may know Michael from his online fandoms and geek groups. He has many loves: Buffy, Disney, horror movies, RuPaul’s Drag Race and the amazing drag community of Seattle, musical theatre, Nintendo, and countless video games including Pokémon, Zelda, Binding of Isaac and Animal Crossing.

Michael is a member of the Makah Tribe, and his family is hoping to get some assistance from them, the Red Cross, and possibly other nearby tribes. The problem is that there is no housing for them available in Neah Bay, emergency or otherwise. That means that when Michael leaves the hospital, he and his family have nowhere to go.

The house is not in good shape right now. Soot, smoke and water from extinguishing the fire destroyed most of their belongings, and they are still waiting to see whether the house itself is salvageable. Sadly they had no insurance on the house, so it will be especially difficult for them to rebuild their home and their lives after this nightmare.

Yvie their dog is doing well and staying with aunt Nan (Anne), but she is bonded to Michael and gets nervous when she’s away from him for too long. She was black with soot when they found her. Mochi, Michael’s cat, is doing fine and being fed regularly, but hasn’t let anyone catch him yet. Their other cat Nala has not been found, and we are afraid she may have perished in the fire. We are asking for your help supporting Michael and his family, to get them back on their feet.

Right now they urgently need money to help with hotels near the hospital, professional house cleaning, gas and transportation, Michael’s recovery and medical costs not covered by his health insurance, and other necessary expenses. Every dollar helps, so if Michael has ever made you smile with one of his Facebook posts sharing a meme or eviscerating an internet troll, if you’ve ever enjoyed any of his homemade fudge or cookies, if you’ve ever been impressed by Theresa’s beautiful glass etchings and beadwork at Makah Days, if Mateo has ever made you laugh with one of his perfectly timed jokes, please show them some love in this incredibly difficult time.

Their deepest gratitude goes out to everyone who contributes, shares this fundraiser or helps in other ways large and small.