My name is Misty, and my husband is Michael. Family and friends know him as Mike. We are a couple that does not ask anyone for money. We feel if we can't afford it, we don't need it. We work very hard for everything we own. GoFundMe is something that I am struggling to even make an account for, and Mike would probably not let me make one if he were able to make decisions right now. I was asked to make this by family members.

That being said, there is a very good reason for this.

On July 18, Mike went up to Boyne Falls for some medical assistance. Within 9 hours of him being at this facility, he went into seizures, bit his tongue, and was found unconscious. When the ambulance arrived, he was already in respiratory distress. He arrived at the ER in Petosky. While in the ER, he had another seizure. When he came to, he stood up on the gurney while hallucinating and went into another seizure. During the seizure, he fell from a standing position on the gurney to the floor. He took a very hard hit to the back of his head, ended up with 15 staples, a knot the size of a baseball, and the whole side of his head/ear severely bruised. Due to the bite to his tongue, they had to intubate and put him on a ventilator. He was taken off two days later. During this whole time, I was never contacted. He was admitted on the 19th; I found out on the 22nd. He was alert and talking for 3 days. By Friday, he was put back on the ventilator. The doctors continued to say that he had an infection and did not know what the infection was. He started having seizures and fevers a week later. Petosky did not have a continuous EEG or an infectious disease doctor to track seizures or perform the testing that needed to be done. This past Monday, the 4th, they decided to transfer him to Flint, MI. The doctors here have been working continuously to find the cause. They have completed the 24-hour EEG and found a mass behind his ear, which they are saying is Mastoiditis. We are now waiting on neurology to come in and for an ENT to perform the surgery that is needed.

This all being said, I have been off work since the 23rd, and my PTO runs out this week. While in Petosky, I was paying for my own hotels, moving several times based on the prices of hotels. The hospital did finally help with 3 nights of the week and a half I was there. Here in Flint, they have been so generous and offered to give me a place to stay in their Hospitality House. I couldn't have asked for a better blessing. I am having to pay for gas and food, with bills piling up in the background. I have only been home once during this whole ordeal. I am too scared to go any further than my room or to a store. I feel when I go any further, I am having to rush back up to the hospital, whether something happens or I need to sign new consents. As I said, this is not something I even want to post. Mike and I don't like to ask anyone for any type of help. If we ever do, there is always a good reason behind it, but that is very rare.

I am asking for a lot of prayers. There is going to be a long recovery time once he is out of ICU. I am hoping to be able to return to work once he is on his way to recovery and is transferred into a rehabilitation facility to regain his strength. If you are unable to help, it is completely understandable. These days are hard for everyone. If you would like to help and don't feel comfortable giving cash, gift cards for gas or food would also be greatly appreciated. Where I am staying, I do have a full kitchen. I am able to put a few groceries in the refrigerator and cook on the stove or in the microwave. I will also donate some of the money to the Hospitality House. Everything there has been put together through others donating. This place is amazing and helps out a lot of families in times like this. They didn't have to give me a room, yet they did, and told me that I am welcome to stay as long as he is in the hospital. God has answered many prayers this past week and God continues to be with us daily. Thank you so kindly for taking your time to read Mike's story. This has been very hard for me, his family, and friends. Please hug your loved ones and tell them you love them every single time you talk to them and see them. You never know when will be the last time you are able to hear them or hug them. I would give everything to hear my husband's voice right now and give me a huge hug! I know he will soon. I have faith in God to bring my Mike back to me, making his jokes, calling me his “Bonger” (Bing Bong-Inside Out movie), and saying to me “I can’t hear you, you’re 3 rooms away!” Just to hear his voice again would mean the world to me!