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Mixer's Recovery

February 9th 2013 This was a typical Saturday the only thing different was Mike was in Palm Springs California for the annual Salton Sea fly in for powered paragliders he had been there for almost a week and would be returning home the next day Sunday. This Saturday went like any other, the girls and I had went to town that evening to grab some supper and returned home and was eating dinner and goofing off. My phone had rang and at this moment a weird feeling had come over me, I felt like my heart had skipped a beat for some un known reason. I went to my phone to read Mark Mixer displayed on my phone (Mikes brother who was with him in California). I answered with hesitation with a response of Stacy Mike just crashed his paramotor.... I immediately started screaming to say the least. Is he ok? Is he ok? Yes, but no, he knows what is going on however he can not feel his legs. At this point I was ok with this (I guess). I was told they would let me know more once they got to the hospital the helicopter was on its way to take him in. As I paced the floor and looked over at the kitchen table where my babies where sitting at the table looking at me with a look of what is going on mom? Madilyn (our oldest) was full of questions, I reassured daddy was ok and at that moment I grabbed my girls and rushed over to my sister n laws. I had to talk to someone to get these emotions out. We rushed into her house like a tornado to inform them of the news I just received. We all were trying to talk each other through all the madness. My phone had rang again and to my surprise it had read Sugar Bear (aka my hubby) I was shocked and answered Hello... Hi honey he says and I broke down... What I am I supposed to do? He says with a calm as a cucumber voice just get the next flight out. Are you ok, he says yes I just cant feel my legs, What happened I asked, he said he was flying in the competition event and everything was going great when some crazy air had come over the mountains and had pushed his glider down in which let his lines loose and they wrapped around his prop and he fell about 75-80 feet to the ground. He chose to land on his butt due to the thought of breaking his legs. And as I talked to him he was laying helplessly on the ground awaiting the helicopter to arrive. He said he loved me and would talk to me after he got to the hospital. It felt like a lifetime waiting for my phone to ring again. In the meantime we all gathered at Mikes mom's. I had called my family to inform them of what happened and we waited.... and waited.... Finally my phone had rang again this time a facetime call, I answered and could see my husband laying in a hospital bed and he stated it hurts.... So do you know anything yet? He replied he had a L1 burst fracture and T 4,5 where fractured, while talking the surgeon had come in to talk and said his spine was in spinal shock and they could not due surgery until this was done. We said our good byes and was booking our flight out of here to get to him. The next morning Mike's mom Doris and I flew out. Talk about the longest flight EVER.... We arrived to Mark at the airport to pick us up and he drove us to the hospital in which Mike had been in surgery since 7am that morning. We arrive to sit and wait.. and wait... The next thing I know is here comes the surgeon out, He states it is what I expected..... Ok I am thinking what the hell does that mean? And then he continues he had a L1 burst fracture and T4 T5 are fractured they replaced the L1 with a piston and had rods running from L1 through T5, his spinal cord was completely severed and he will NEVER BE ABLE TO WALK AGAIN. And at that moment my families lives had changed forever. I was in shock of the news and tears fell and did not stop for a few hours. Holy shit was all I could say and how would I tell the man that I love soooo much that he would never walk again? Hours later a nurse walked over to me and said are you Mikes wife, Yes I am, Mike wants to see you all he has been talking about since he came too is you. I got up and here he came down the hall in the hospital bed. His pour face was so swollen he says hi babe, All I could due was hold back the tears, I love you was exchanged and off he went so they could get him situated in ICU where we spent several days. That evening once he was a little more with it he asked what did the doctor say, I hesitated and started crying again, they said you would never walk again he looked at me and shook his head yea I figured that. The next day we came in and were sitting and waiting for whatever we were waiting on... (going home). Mike looks at me and says what's on my legs? I jumped up and took the blankets off his legs and the pressure things were on his legs. I said you can feel that he says YES! I knew from that point forward this man would BEAT ALL ODDS. From this point forward I had to be the strong person here and not cry over him but to push him to his very next move. Make him fight this for himself and are babies that were back home. We were in California for almost three weeks in which felt like a lifetime. We got home and Mike went straight into Blessing where he stayed for about two weeks. We had parapalegic pounded in our heads of what he would not be able to do again. Bullshit this man will walk again. To try to keep this short (yea right). Physical therapy sessions started continuing dr appointments the struggles I seen him go through at home. I look back and the determination this man has is beyond words for me. I pushed and he pulled and I pushed and he pulled, yes we had are crying moments and I questioned why did this happen to this man that loves life and would help a stranger at any given point. However over this year our family has adjusted well to the changes. When you see your oldest daughter take his wheelchair and tell him to figure out how to get to the bathroom, was priceless. The girls are always on him about good job dad, you can do it dad:) Today this amazing man can walk with a walker and keep up with me, he continues to put new students in the sky and he strives everyday to accomplish something. He works out three days a week, and drives his truck like anyone else does (no hand controls) he can move his toes and feel his entire right leg and can feel his left leg down to his foot. AMAZING to say the least. He is working a lot with his canes with he does well however he just isn't as fast. (if you know Mike he never walked he always ran). Our latest discovery is Stem Cell therapy that could potentially help Mike even more. It is by far not a miracle juice however we have done our research and have spoken with the doctor whom is already amazed of what Mike can do. Please help continue Mikes extraordinary

story and further his recovery process. The funding is to help with the major expense of one treatment which is done overseas due to it not being FDA approved in the United States. Thank You in advance!

The MIXER Family
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Donations 

  • Bjarne Sorensen
    • $100 
    • 9 yrs
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Organizer

Stacy Arrowsmith Mixer
Organizer
Fowler, IL

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