My name is Michael Christopher Strickland, and I'm 52 years old. I currently live in Augusta, GA with my wife of 30 years, Chelen, and son, Logan, who is 23 years old. We also have a 21-year-old son who has recently gotten hired with FedEx in Minnesota. In 2015, I was in an automobile accident which required an MRI to analyze my brain injury. Later, when this report was requested, they discovered a colloidal cyst in the 3rd ventricle of my brain, also classified as a brain tumor.

I had been suffering since I was about 19 years old. I had been in the Army Reserves and was attending college at Brewton Parker College in Mt. Vernon, GA, and was experiencing frequent headaches, nausea, and vomiting. I felt ashamed and like I needed to hide this from everyone else. I was an athlete, a hard worker, and a good student. Unfortunately, the headaches took a toll.

I broke down and went to multiple doctors, had many tests done, and yet they could never find anything. Years had passed. Many doctors told me I might just be imagining it. They told me there was no way I could have been in as much pain as I had stated and continue working. Then the wreck.

I had worked as a teacher for many years after graduating college. I had many medical bills piling up and decided to go back into construction to pay them off. I went to work at Vogtle Nuclear Plant in Waynesboro, Georgia, for many years. Starting as a Journeyman Ironworker and finishing as the Lead Rigging and Training Superintendent many years later. I went to The Secret City in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to work for the next few years.

During this time, I had continued getting worse. Doctors kept telling me this is nothing to worry about; just keep getting regular MRIs. I was told multiple times by multiple doctors this is nothing that will kill me.

Forward ahead to working in Iowa during 2024, I lost all feeling in my skin and was still vomiting daily, having headaches constantly, loss of vision, and balance. I had a seizure while inspecting work on a 6th story and nearly fell off. I left and drove home to Georgia. Upon coming home and waiting on tests to be performed, I started to lose my ability to maintain breathing. Within a few days, I was told I needed emergency brain surgery to remove the cyst. I wanted a second opinion and was told I didn't have time. My wife contacted Emory University in Atlanta as a last resort after not being able to get the expert care we needed. The neurosurgeons here wanted to use medical students for a very rare condition and had even mentioned in previous years donating my brain for science. We went in and had it removed at Emory on November 27th, 2024. This resulted in many issues post-surgery that were unexpected even though Emory had experienced and dynamic neurosurgeons who had operated on these rare tumors. Because my brain was incised on the upper scalp due to the location of the tumor being deep within my cortex, this was a very delicate surgery and unfortunately, I got air in the area which was opened. This had to be replaced with oxygen but left me with many issues. I could no longer feed myself, speak effectively, had frequent issues with my skin sensations, and could no longer work or perform mathematical calculations which had come so easily in the past. Even being an avid scuba diver in the past was off-limits as I feared putting my head underwater. In addition, I am suffering from PTSD, social anxiety, major depression, and an array of medical issues which prevent me from working. Social Security has denied my eligibility but this process with legal representation is underway and may take years. My wife's salary as a 7th-grade teacher is barely enough for our family's needs.

We are creating this GoFundMe in prayer and hopes that we may raise enough donations to pay our monthly bills for an undetermined time. May God bless each person that has taken the time to read about my brain tumor journey.