Robby and Mike's Recovery Fund!

Hey! My name is Kasey, and in the past few years, the COVID-19 pandemic has stolen millions of lives. To know no one who suffered at the hands of COVID-19 is a privilege; to not have a loved one ripped away from you during this time is an even greater one.

In Fall 2021, my friend Mike called me to tell me that his partner, and one of the most incredible people I've ever known (and have been lucky enough to call a friend), Robby Young, collapsed in their home with a blood oxygen level dipping into the forties. Immediately, he was rushed to the hospital, intubated, and the waiting game began. With severe damage to one of his arms, fluid build-up in his lungs, and enduring one of the most horrifying realities of mortality, Robby's odds didn't look good while on the ventilator.

Those in the healthcare field know the statistics. To be extubated after battling COVID-19 and survive is a miracle. Yet, Robby's body fought through it, and he started to see significant progress in his recovery. Because of the thoughtful financial planning Mike and Robby went through before the ordeal, they were able to survive.

Since he was released from rehab, where he learned how to walk and move his arm again, Robby has been hospitalized twice due to Long Covid. He is currently suffering from atrial fibrillation and right-sided heart failure. Since he is dealing with the impact of Long Covid, including parosmia, every meal is more difficult to eat, and while talking to Robby and Mike on the phone, they're still cracking jokes. His body has undergone immense stress, and the road to complete recovery is long. Robby is back in the same position of being unable to work, and Mike attempts to support them through this time. I know that making this GoFundMe was extremely hard for them to agree to, but after all the good they do for others, this is the least I can do for them!

As some of you may know, Robby works at the same middle school that I worked at, and has the hopes of becoming a teacher one day. He was loved by so many of the students and staff members. For those of you who know Robby, you know he doesn’t have any family, so in emergency times such as this he doesn’t have anyone to turn to except us— his friends.

That’s where you come in! Robby and Mike need a community of people willing to support them at this time. Brand new homeowners, caregivers to Robby's mother, and after the insane amount of medical bills they've received, monetary assistance will go a long way for them. To know them is to love them, and I know that the people in our community can donate whatever possible, and we can reach this goal. Better yet, I think that we can surpass it.

Any assistance is appreciated. Thank you all for loving and supporting my friends in their darkest hours. I know they share this sentiment.