On Tuesday, June 6, 2022, at 7:42am time stopped for our family. I received a frantic and hysterical call from my sister Kim. Through her tears and panic, she told me that her husband Mitch just had a major stroke 20 minutes earlier. Kim was following the ambulance to the hospital as she was speaking to me.

 

Quickly the shock of the news wore off, and concern set in. My brother-in-law, Mitch is a young, vibrant, healthy man who isn’t even 50 years old yet! How could he have had a stroke? And yet, he had. He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t move. 

 

As they say, timing is everything. Kim was only minutes away from leaving to go to work. Had she already left, Mitch surely would not have survived.

 

The paramedics had called ahead to the hospital and as soon as they arrived, Mitch was rushed into the CT scan. He was also given the lifesaving drug TPA. The CT scan not only showed a major blockage on the right side of Mitch’s brain, but also that several areas show Mitch has actually had several mini-strokes in the previous days!

 

Once Mitch was stabilized, he was airlifted from Cheyenne Medical Center to Swedish Medical Center in Colorado and was admitted to ICU. When Kim arrived, she met with Mitch’s medical team, where she was told just how serious Mitch’s medical situation was.

 

Four major arteries supply blood to the brain. One of these four arteries is 100% blocked; one is approximately 90-95% blocked, and one is damaged from the previous mini-strokes. This means that Mitch is only getting the much-needed blood, oxygen and nutrients from one of the remaining arteries.

 

To complicate matters even more, these blockages are not being caused from plaque buildup as normally is the case in a traditional Ischemic stroke. Instead, Mitch’s veins and arteries are forming internal tears where blood is getting trapped. This trapped blood is the cause of the blockages. Mitch’s Doctors are still not sure what is causing these tears but are diligently working to find the cause as well as prevent more from happening. These tears are normally only seen when there is a brain trauma from an injury, but Mitch has not experienced any trauma.

 

It is truly a miracle that Mitch is alive. His strength and determination are an inspiration for all of us. He is a husband, a brother, a son, a stepdad and a Papa to four beautiful grandchildren. Mitch is your typical strong silent kind of guy who values his privacy. He loves spending time with Kim, his wife, best friend and soulmate; his three step-kids; and his four grandchildren. He is a huge animal lover.

 

Mitch and Kim are always the first to show up when someone needs a helping hand but are the last to ask for help when needed. But help is precisely what they need.

 

Kim has been by Mitch’s side the entire time. She is his advocate, cheerleader and caregiver. As a result, she isn’t working, has no available time off and has no income coming in. The hospital bills will be extremely high, and the day-to-day bills aren’t going to go away either. With Mitch being treated out of state, there are also housing and other expenses.

 

This page is designed to raise money for medical bills and expenses and help with their current bills. Please check back often for updates and Mitch’s progress. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

This journey has just begun. With a lot of pf prayers and a little luck, Mitch will soon be on the road to recovery.

 

Thank you for caring and for your continued support. Both Kim and Mitch are forever grateful.