Hello everyone,

My name is Marco Farsetta and I have organized this GoFundMe for my uncle Michael Spinelli.

Let me introduce you to my uncle Mike. Before this past decade, he lived a normal life. Living with his wife Dawn, and his beloved rescue dog Chloe. His profession was pipe fitting, and would spend his free time going to car shows, fishing, hunting, and his favorite activity, spending time with his family.

In 2013 Mike unfortunately needed a kidney transplant. After receiving this kidney, unbeknownst to us, it had a very serious virus, which almost took his life. He was admitted to the hospital for several months after this, in and out of consciousness and battling to get better. Due to this virus, and the heavy doses of anti-viral medicine he was put on, it killed his new kidney. This was devastating for all of us, and especially him, that a blessing that doesn't happen for many, was taken away from him. He had to start his dialysis treatments again, which meant he had to retire from his job, and also meant 3 days a week, 5 hours a day, he was imprisoned to a chair at a medical facility. Although this was a very trying time on his mind, body, and soul, he managed to stay positive, and look for future hope in receiving another kidney. As he patiently waited, his body began to suffer the consequences of what dialysis does to it. After waiting, and on a few different occasions being faced with false hope of reviving a kidney, another kidney donor arose, 7 years later. This was great news for him and our family, that he was blessed a second time and was finally getting his life back. At this time, you only have a matter of hours to get ready, and get to the hospital. We frantically rushed around to get him there, but gleaming with joy at the same time. We brought him down to the hospital, he went through all the time consuming paperwork, prep work, and was ready to go sitting in pre-op. As he was waiting, him and his wife Dawn were hit with absolutely devastating news. The kidney transported all the way from California, had a pump malfunction... Which meant that the 'box' which was supposed to pump cold saline liquid through the organ, failed. The kidney was too warm, and could not be transplanted into Mike's body, in fear of rejection. This crushed Mike. After years of waiting, and staying positive, and finally getting a second chance of hope, it was ripped away from him in a blink of an eye. Now it was time, for Mike to be imprisoned again, to that dreadful chair at the dialysis center. A year went by (now 2021), and ANOTHER potential donor was on the horizon. but this time around, Mike's body sustained a lot of damage from the years of dialysis treatment. This meant in order to be 'next' on the list, he needed extensive procedures done, which included a heart valve replacement, heart stents, etc. With Mike at this point in pure desperation to get better, he went though with all the surgeries. After these procedures, he was in the clear to finally receive a new kidney. But once again, tragedy struck. Mike is also a diabetic, and one day bumped his foot and got a blood blister. The normal thing that happens to everyone at least once in their lifetime. But unfortunately the blister turned into an infection. He went to the local hospital, where it got much worse. The infection from the blood blister, was spreading, and spreading quickly. At this time, we decided to transfer him to a speciality hospital in New York City. This was at the beginning on October 2021. He walked in with two legs, and two feet... And now is wheeling out with only one leg. The infection spread throughout his body, which caused him to have a leg amputation, in order to save his life. This surgery didn't go as we all expected. They first started at the foot, but it did not heal. Then they went to the knee, again, didn't heal. Now they have went all the way up to his upper thigh. Three times total. This is a very difficult surgery for someone to process once, but Mike had to do it three times. This has been very trying on all of us, to see someone who was once the definition of a true 'outdoorsman', laying in a hospital bed. After all of this hardship, we are hopeful that Mike will receive the rehabilitation he is in dire need of, and will make a full recovery. However, him and his wife will be faced (even more then they already have been) with extensive medical bills, home renovations costs to make their house handicapped accessible, and after care services which will not be covered by his medical insurance. During all of this devastation, Mike is still his old self, cracking his corny jokes, watching his 'Pawn Star's' on the History Channel, waiting for next hunting/fishing season to be upon us. He is still determined to reclaim his old life, even if it means being in a wheelchair, having a prosthetic leg, and even to the extent of riding in a quad to go hunting. Mike has always been the 'go-to' person for many. He is the true definition of someone who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. Now its time to show Mike the support and love he needs during this very long road of recovery.

Please share!!!!!

Thank you. ❤️