Hi everyone,

My name is Micah, and I’m starting this GoFundMe on behalf of my dad, Paul Austring. I’m reaching out to friends, family, and our community to ask for support for my dad, who is battling a severe and mysterious medical condition that doctors have not yet been able to fully diagnose.

For the past five years, my dad has been steadily losing his hearing in both ears. He has also developed painful lesions on his legs, body, and even inside his esophagus, which have made eating and tasting food extremely difficult. He struggles to swallow and experiences constant pain—especially in his feet, where the lesions are worse. His doctors believe it may be an autoimmune disorder, but despite seeing many specialists, no one has been able to pinpoint exactly what is happening.

Over the past year, my dad has been on disability and unable to work due to his chronic pain and other symptoms. Because he’s been self-employed most of his life, he doesn’t have access to employment insurance or medical benefits to help cover the cost of medications and daily expenses. Recently, he began a new trial medication as a last resort, but unfortunately, it hasn’t yet brought the full improvements we were hoping for. Watching him struggle and waste away has been heartbreaking.

My first goal with this fundraiser is to help purchase hearing aids for my dad so that he can once again hear his grandbabies’ laughter and enjoy the sounds of the world around him.

The second goal is to raise enough funds to send him to the Mayo Clinic, where we hope their specialists can finally uncover what’s causing his illness. The initial cost of a Mayo Clinic consultation is around $20,000, and we’ve exhausted almost every local medical option available.

Anyone who knows my dad knows that he’s the very last person to ask for help—but he’s always the first person to offer it. He’s a true jack-of-all-trades who has spent his life serving others: putting out fires, fixing, building, hauling, plowing snow, taking photos, bringing Santa magic to kids around the city, and lending a hand wherever it’s needed. If you’re reading this, chances are he’s helped you in some way.

Now it’s his turn to receive that same kindness.

Please consider donating to help my dad get the care he desperately needs. If we want to keep calling on Paul when we need something fixed, lifted, or built, we need to help get him back on his feet. I know firsthand how powerful it can be when a community comes together—and your support means the world to us.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read, share, and support my dad on this difficult journey.

And if you know my dad, you know he’s going to kill me for asking for help on his behalf—so please help me make it worth it! — Micah