LET'S GIVE PARAPLEGIC MIKE BETLISKEY A LIFT!

Shot in the back, and left for dead; Mike Betliskey has been paralyzed from the shoulder blades down since that fateful night in 1979, when he was robbed of $6 and his ability to live a normal life. For four decades, Mike has been struggling to live as normal a life as possible; but now, time, paralysis, age, and progressive arthritis are stealing from Mike the little remaining independence and mobility the robbers left him. Mike is in dire need of a patient lift gantry to help him move from his wheelchair to his bed at night, and from his bed to the wheel chair in the morning -- the two most dangerous and difficult tasks of his day.

Example of a Patient Lift Gantry

Medicare will not cover the cost of an electric-powered lift gantry system; and since Mike’s total monthly income is only $974 per month, we are relying on the success of this GoFundMe fundraiser to help Mike raise the money needed to buy the patient lift gantry and to help pay for additional medical bills, We know we can reach the $10,000 goal with your help in two very important areas: 1. Please spread the word on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to everyone you know; 2. And, of course, please donate -- even a little bit will help! We greatly appreciate every donation. Even small donations will make a big difference!

Read more of Mike's Story

In 1979, Mike was attending a Catholic seminary in Cleveland where he was studying to become a priest. Late one evening, as he was returning to the seminary, he was robbed, shot, and left for dead by a couple of robbers. The robbers only got six dollars, but Mike has been paralyzed from his shoulder blades down since that shooting. Although Mike initially had full use of his hands and arms, he only had limited sensation in his fingertips.

Nevertheless, he was doggedly determined to live independently as much as he could. For the next 40 years, he successfully rose in the morning, bathed, toileted, dressed, cooked, attended to daily activities, and put himself to bed each day. For all of those years, Mike has prided himself in his independence; he never asks for financial assistance, and I have never heard him complain about his paralysis or the inhuman act that caused it. While he could no longer become a priest, Mike has been serving the poor and needy all of his life; and in 2007 he became a deacon in the Catholic Church.

But time, paralysis, and aging changed all of that in 2015. Mike’s left shoulder froze, and he required surgery to regain limited use of the shoulder. Now, progressive arthritis in his spine, neck, hands, jaw, and especially his right shoulder are limiting his ability to transfer into and out of the wheelchair and the bed.

Because surgery is not an option for his right shoulder, he is currently relying on cortisone injections to help him retain some use of that shoulder. Nevertheless, the shoulder is quickly becoming more arthritic, and he is no longer able to transfer himself into and out of bed without an attendant. Transferring from the bed to his motorized wheelchair in the morning, and from the wheelchair to his bed in the evening are the most dangerous and arduous tasks of his day. At least once, he became wedged between the bed and the wheelchair for more than 15 minutes before rescuers could free him.

Thank you so much for your time, for helping us get this message in front of as many people as possible, and for your donation! Together:

LET'S GIVE PARAPLEGIC MIKE BETLISKEY A LIFT!