Michael Keever's Road to Recovery

On behalf of a beloved member of my family, I am creating this fundraiser to support Michael Keever’s “Road to Recovery”.

In early November, my brother-in-law was diagnosed with COVID Pneumonia and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). He has been bravely fighting this horrible illness for weeks now, and has recently been moved into the ICU. While Michael is currently in critical condition, and fighting the fight of his life, we fully believe that he is capable of beating this disease. Michael accurately described his “road to recovery” when he said that there will be many twists and turns. Michael’s next step is receiving Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, more commonly known as ECMO. Michael’s current care staff believes that he needs this treatment in order to beat this disease. In addition to his current care team exploring this option, his physician of 10+ years is advocating for this care.

This is where you come in, his friends and family. ECMO is an extremely expensive, and hard to come by form of care. This level of care can only be preformed at certified ECMO centers, and is only handled by a specific team of highly trained medical professionals. Compounding the fact that ECMO chambers are hard to find, and not available at his current hospital, ECMO care must be initiated as soon as possible for the best results. While Michael is battling COVID, his family is battling the clock. In order to give Michael all the tools he needs to beat this illness, it is imperative that we get him to an ECMO center as soon as possible.

It is important to note that Michael’s family is his entire world. Supporting Michael also means supporting his wife of 31 years, Jeannie, his eldest daughter Kathryn, his middle child Whitney, and youngest child Jack. When talking with Michael’s kids today, they said the following:

“To know him is to love him. Even if you have only spent five minutes with our father, you know that his goodness radiates from within. His generosity knows no bounds, and his love for his family and friends is unmatched. When it comes to someone in need, there is never an ask too big. Our Dad is the best of the best, and we need him back home. Please help us provide our Dad with the next step in his recovery, as we know he would stop at nothing to get us healthy. No words of gratitude could ever come close to describing how much a prayer or a share means to us. We need to do this for our father, as he would do the same for us. Please help us bring our Dad home.”

It is not uncommon for family to call Michael “The Rainmaker”. It is true what his kids said; Michael does anything for everyone. He’s the guy you want in your corner when your back is up against the wall. He’s an extremely hard worker, and his attention to detail is unmatched. When he is called into help, he is laser focused, absolutely relentless, and unwavering to the cause.

This pillar of the Rochester community is missed by many. His temporary absence has affected everyone who knows him. From his family, to the families he stopped to talk with on his daily walks with his best friend Charlie, the Keever’s three-year-old Wheaten Terrier, everyone misses him, and needs him to receive this critical next step in his recovery.

We know that Michael is a fighter, so we need to help him have every opportunity to fight.

Be a #KeeverBeliever, and support Michael’s Road to Recovery today.