Help Michael Vitek Overcome Cancer Challenges

Dear friends and family,

We reach out to you with heavy hearts, seeking your support for our beloved Michael Vitek, who is facing a rare and challenging cancer diagnosis. Michael is an award-winning public school teacher and coach, a devoted husband to his wife Emily, and a loving father to their son Lane.

As many of you know, Michael had his right foot amputated last September due to a recurrence of an extra-axial chordoma, a rare bone cancer with only 200 cases to date. After his surgery on September 9th he returned to work on the on October 18th, the first day of basketball season. However, during the season, he underwent a second surgery due to new bone growth from the original surgery in 2020. The surgery was on Friday and he was back to work the following Monday. With the support of his coaching staff and hard work of his players the Panthers finished the season with a district record of 11-5 and a playoff berth for the 8th time in 9 years.

At the end of the school year, he was the first recipient of the FBISD John Furlow Award, recognizing a player or coach who has overcome adversity and demonstrated great leadership. Michael has not let his amputation slow him down; he continues to hunt, fish, spend time with family and was able to float the Comal once again this summer. Due to the second surgery, his first prosthetic did not fit properly, necessitating a new one, which he received in August. The new prosthetic fits well and is much more comfortable, and he aims to walk full-time by his niece’s wedding in March.

At the end of the school year Michael made the difficult decision to step down as the head girls basketball coach at Ridge Point. He remains on staff teaching Economics and Psychology and is the varsity girls basketball assistant.

Since last September, doctors at MD Anderson have been monitoring two nodules in Michael’s right lung. In July, the medical team referred him to the thoracic department due to their growth. After numerous scans and appointments, they determined that the original tumor had metastasized, requiring surgery to remove the middle lobe of Michael’s right lung, scheduled for November 14th.

As Michael endures this difficult journey, the financial burden on his family has become overwhelming. We, as friends and family, are united in our commitment to support them during this challenging time. We humbly ask for your generous contributions to this GoFundMe campaign to alleviate their financial hardships. Every donation, no matter the size, will make a meaningful impact on their lives.

Thank you for your support.

With heartfelt gratitude, Haley Rod, Mandy Hobbs and the friends and family of Michael Vitek