Our dear friend Michael has been fighting for his life over the past two months. What started as a case of influenza A quickly turned into bilateral pneumonia, sepsis, kidney failure, damaged vocal cords, and a staph infection. He spent two weeks in a coma, intubated and clinging to life, only to develop ventilator-induced pneumonia due to lung damage from the ventilator.

Michael has already faced so many health challenges—he has chronic pancreatitis and type 1 diabetes—but this recent health crisis has been the most difficult yet. He had to be airlifted from one hospital to another, and his family is now facing massive medical bills, with insurance only covering part of the cost.

Through it all, his wife Kristen has remained by his side, showing the same strength and love that Michael has shown to everyone in his life. Michael is one of the kindest, most selfless people you’ll ever meet. He loves animals, board games, trivia, and spending time with family and friends. He’s the kind of person who would do anything for anyone—and now it’s our turn to be there for him.