Stroke Recovery Fund for Masamitsu Umeki

Hello, my name is Michael and I am trying to help raise money for Masamitsu Umeki.

He is a close friend of mine that is currently fighting for his life in the ICU. At 5 AM, December 28, he was found by his younger brother unresponsive in bed with trouble breathing. He was brought to our local hospital and was shortly moved to another hospital a city away after discovering that they were unequipped to treat him. At this hospital, they determined that he had a hemorrhagic stroke secondary to severe hypertension caused by the flu. During his seizure, he choked on mucus and saliva, causing him to develop pneumonia, which can be life-threatening when combined with his hemorrhagic stroke. The hospital had been frantically trying to stabilize his condition. We have been told that they had been fighting against his uncontrolled high blood pressure and rising intracranial pressure (which is the pressure in his brain, that when uncontrolled can cause brain damage. It is otherwise known as ICP). Their struggle was between the inverse effects of the medications used to control these two problems, when ICP lowers, the blood pressure rises, and vice versa. It is important for the hospital staff to control these two variables and get them to a stable condition, if uncontrolled, it may mean another stroke or death.

At present, he has had four procedures to treat his condition. These procedures were burr holes (a procedure drilling small holes through the skull to relieve pressure) to treat the initial hemorrhage in his brain, a PICC line (a peripherally inserted central catheter, which is a tube that gives doctors direct access to the large central veins near their patient’s heart) to treat his uncontrolled blood pressure, and two craniectomy procedures in which pieces of his skull had been removed to treat the hemorrhage and his rising ICP.

Masa was raised by a gentle and loving mother, who works hard every day to keep food on the table and a roof above his and his siblings’ heads. It is through her hard work and guidance that he has grown into a gentle personality with infinite patience and compassion that everyone adores. He has always battled the hardships of everyday life with his chin up, a big smile, and endless laughter. He is a beacon of light that radiates positivity and warmth for many who know him.

Masa is a brilliant student that was studying to become an astrophysicist. He postponed his studies in the final year to help relieve some of the financial stress his mother carries having been hospitalized herself for exhaustion on several occasions. A few weeks ago, he was ecstatic about starting his first job as a line cook in a restaurant, whose team he would frequently describe as nothing short of amazing and supportive. He found a passion for cooking that allowed him to save for tuition while helping support the family.

Masa is a sociable person who could befriend anyone. He enjoys spending time with family and friends, watching movies, cooking dinners, and making you laugh. He brings optimism and happiness wherever he goes. Masa would always offer his help, dropping anything and everything to come to our aid with all he was capable of doing. He is a great source of motivation, he genuinely cares about your success. He is someone you can depend on to always show up for you and fight in your corner. It is because of his loving personality, every single day since hospitalization his friends and family have filled up the waiting room, taking turns to speak to him and offer words of encouragement as he battles through these tough times.

The absence of his smile and voice brings a great deal of sadness and emptiness into our lives. We have all been blessed by Masa’s radiance and want nothing more than to be able to shine some light back into his life. He is in the early critical stages of treatment but will need rehabilitation to regain his mobility and other functions. We humbly ask that you lend us your help. Please share Masa’s story and, if you can, donate. Every bit helps to provide critical medical care for our dear friend, son, and brother, Masa. Masamitsu has no insurance, and with his mother working two jobs to support him and his younger siblings the financial pressure is unimaginable. Your donations will help cover some of the extensive life-saving medical care and rehabilitation that Masa will need to pull through this ordeal.

Thank you for taking the time and getting to know Masa, donating, sharing his story, and praying for his recovery. We will update this page periodically to share any good news as it becomes available. From us to you, we are eternally grateful (friends, and family).