Sherels Strong
Donation protected
This campaign has been launched by Mike and Emily’s families. We are asking for support of our dearly loved family members to help keep them and their growing family strong…Sherels Strong.
**For a complete and detailed story of what Mike and Emily have just gone through, please reference the inspiring article published in the Star Tribune by Chip Scoggins.
Mike Sherels, Husband, father, son, brother, and University of Minnesota Linebackers Coach recently went through a severe health crisis. From July 24 to August 19, life as we knew it changed.
After spending eight days in the hospital and going through multiple procedures, due to unknown internal bleeding, doctors finally discovered an angiodysplasia (an abnormal cluster of blood vessels) located at the entrance of the large intestine. A simple procedure to correct the angiodysplasia turned into a fight for his life.
Mike had an allergic reaction to a drug used in the above mentioned procedure, which left his insides in shambles. Mike’s entire small intestine, half of his transverse colon and appendix were removed because they were dead. The medical team gave Emily the horrifying news that he may not survive. The surgeon stated that he had hoped to never have been presented with a case like this. The odds were not in Mike’s favor.
There were five days after the removal of the small intestine when he was sedated, on a ventilator, and cared for in the ICU. He was placed in critical condition and the wait began to determine if he was going to survive. The completion of the third surgery presented doctors and family alike with truly miraculous news. He was going to make it.
There is still a long road ahead for Mike’s recovery peppered with a few unknowns. Mike has quickly squashed the thoughts of months of hospitalization and worries of missing out on the U of M Football season, or not working again entirely. Because of his stubbornness, so much support from family, friends and his linebackers he went home only 10 days after his first surgery. Not to mention he went home straight from the ICU, which is very unheard of. He went back to practice part time three days after going home, well technically one day since he went to a scrimmage at the stadium the day after discharge. Mike’s dedication to his family and Gopher Football propelled him to accomplish this feat.
What does this all mean? This means he cannot eat and mostly not drink. He can have tastes or small sips of liquids. His remaining gastrointestinal organs are not connected. He has a tube in his stomach that is connected to ostomy bags that drain the natural fluids the body produces. He receives his nutrition intravenously by Emily in a sterilized room in their home. He needs to be hooked up to his formula for 12 hours every day. He is recovering from four major and intensive surgeries. Down the road, we are hopeful that his stomach can be reconnected to his large intestine for the possibility of eating some food again. He is now working with the team at Mayo on a plan for his future. To say his and their daily life has changed and is about to change even more is an understatement.
Mike, Emily, Valerie and Quinton are welcoming two babies into their family in March of 2017. Twins…identical twin babies. They are over the moon with excitement but also know these sweet additions will bring with the demand of extra money, time, and baby gear.
The Sherels family has had quite the summer. They have been blown away by the amount of support, prayers, texts, calls, meals, positive energy, cards and love that have been given. Many, many kind and generous people have asked what they could do to help support this family and therefore we have created this campaign.
It is not at all in Mike and Emily’s nature to ask for help this way and it is uncomfortable for them to be in this position. But this is the reality of their life moving forward. It will be very different and much more difficult.
Funds generated from this campaign will go towards mounting medical bills – all work done at Mayo is out-of-network for their insurance; nutrition and supplies for Mike; diapers, wipes, bottles, formula, etc. for the twins; cost of expenses used to travel for multiple weekly hospital and lab visits; time and costs for Emily to travel with Michael for work (Emily has not been back to work since July 24th, meanwhile the children have still been attending day care); extra car seats for people helping with driving their kids; baby gear like bouncers, swings, materials to finish their basement for a bedroom so they have a place for guests who come stay in order to help with the children; snow removal help, medical room adaptations (door and recliner needed) and the list goes on.
If you have found this page and have something else to offer, such as a skill or trade (ie. laying carpet, tiling, electrical work, or plumbing work) that would help their family out, they would gladly accept. For more information on these opportunities, please contact Becky at [email redacted]. There are also baby registries set up at Target and Babies“R”Us .
Thank you for your consideration,
- The families of Mike and Emily Sherels
**For a complete and detailed story of what Mike and Emily have just gone through, please reference the inspiring article published in the Star Tribune by Chip Scoggins.
Mike Sherels, Husband, father, son, brother, and University of Minnesota Linebackers Coach recently went through a severe health crisis. From July 24 to August 19, life as we knew it changed.
After spending eight days in the hospital and going through multiple procedures, due to unknown internal bleeding, doctors finally discovered an angiodysplasia (an abnormal cluster of blood vessels) located at the entrance of the large intestine. A simple procedure to correct the angiodysplasia turned into a fight for his life.
Mike had an allergic reaction to a drug used in the above mentioned procedure, which left his insides in shambles. Mike’s entire small intestine, half of his transverse colon and appendix were removed because they were dead. The medical team gave Emily the horrifying news that he may not survive. The surgeon stated that he had hoped to never have been presented with a case like this. The odds were not in Mike’s favor.
There were five days after the removal of the small intestine when he was sedated, on a ventilator, and cared for in the ICU. He was placed in critical condition and the wait began to determine if he was going to survive. The completion of the third surgery presented doctors and family alike with truly miraculous news. He was going to make it.
There is still a long road ahead for Mike’s recovery peppered with a few unknowns. Mike has quickly squashed the thoughts of months of hospitalization and worries of missing out on the U of M Football season, or not working again entirely. Because of his stubbornness, so much support from family, friends and his linebackers he went home only 10 days after his first surgery. Not to mention he went home straight from the ICU, which is very unheard of. He went back to practice part time three days after going home, well technically one day since he went to a scrimmage at the stadium the day after discharge. Mike’s dedication to his family and Gopher Football propelled him to accomplish this feat.
What does this all mean? This means he cannot eat and mostly not drink. He can have tastes or small sips of liquids. His remaining gastrointestinal organs are not connected. He has a tube in his stomach that is connected to ostomy bags that drain the natural fluids the body produces. He receives his nutrition intravenously by Emily in a sterilized room in their home. He needs to be hooked up to his formula for 12 hours every day. He is recovering from four major and intensive surgeries. Down the road, we are hopeful that his stomach can be reconnected to his large intestine for the possibility of eating some food again. He is now working with the team at Mayo on a plan for his future. To say his and their daily life has changed and is about to change even more is an understatement.
Mike, Emily, Valerie and Quinton are welcoming two babies into their family in March of 2017. Twins…identical twin babies. They are over the moon with excitement but also know these sweet additions will bring with the demand of extra money, time, and baby gear.
The Sherels family has had quite the summer. They have been blown away by the amount of support, prayers, texts, calls, meals, positive energy, cards and love that have been given. Many, many kind and generous people have asked what they could do to help support this family and therefore we have created this campaign.
It is not at all in Mike and Emily’s nature to ask for help this way and it is uncomfortable for them to be in this position. But this is the reality of their life moving forward. It will be very different and much more difficult.
Funds generated from this campaign will go towards mounting medical bills – all work done at Mayo is out-of-network for their insurance; nutrition and supplies for Mike; diapers, wipes, bottles, formula, etc. for the twins; cost of expenses used to travel for multiple weekly hospital and lab visits; time and costs for Emily to travel with Michael for work (Emily has not been back to work since July 24th, meanwhile the children have still been attending day care); extra car seats for people helping with driving their kids; baby gear like bouncers, swings, materials to finish their basement for a bedroom so they have a place for guests who come stay in order to help with the children; snow removal help, medical room adaptations (door and recliner needed) and the list goes on.
If you have found this page and have something else to offer, such as a skill or trade (ie. laying carpet, tiling, electrical work, or plumbing work) that would help their family out, they would gladly accept. For more information on these opportunities, please contact Becky at [email redacted]. There are also baby registries set up at Target and Babies“R”Us .
Thank you for your consideration,
- The families of Mike and Emily Sherels
Organizer and beneficiary
Becky Busselman
Organizer
Minneapolis, MN
Mike Sherels and Family
Beneficiary