The Heart of a Healer: Why Mike Needs Us Now

Update 9/26/25

URGENT‼️‼️

Mike’s open heart ❤️ surgery to save his life is scheduled in

LESS THAN 4 DAYS(on Sept. 8)

The hospital just informed us that they will not perform the surgery unless we come up with $4️⃣0️⃣ thousand by that date

Again this surgery is life saving and needs to be done as soon as possible to prevent another stroke!

Please donate if you can and share with as many people as possible! ❤️❤️

9/12/25

Hello everyone, Ashlun here!

I am raising money for my dad, Mike, who was recently hospitalized due to a stroke. My dad is an incredible guy! He is the kind of guy with a hard exterior and the most gooey soft interior. Everyone that knows him loves and admires him. Mike is the kind of guy to walk away from the typical 9-5 secure job he got his degree for and dedicate his life to helping others. My dad has spent the better half of the past decade creating his nonprofit from the ground up and every day he beneficially impacts the lives of others.

Let me tell you a little more about him.

Mike Carlson always dreamed of working with people and animals in a way that would impact their lives for the better. In 2019, he founded Golden Healer Service Dogs — dedicating his life to healing others. He does this, not with medicine, but with the unconditional love and healing power of dogs. As the CEO, Mike has spent years transforming lives by training therapy dogs to work for the public and service dogs for individuals battling mental health challenges, physical disabilities, and emotional trauma. His passion and hard work have brought many people comfort and beneficially changed the lives of children & adults with autism, individuals with PTSD, and others with autoimmune disorders — just to list a few.

But now, the healer needs some healing of his own.

On July 8th, Mike suffered a stroke — a terrifying and unexpected moment that changed everything. During his week-long hospitalization, doctors discovered what they believe to be the root cause of his stroke: an atrial myxoma, a rare and potentially life-threatening tumor in his heart. To save his life, Mike must now undergo open-heart surgery.

Mike, being the entrepreneur that he is, and dedicating all his time and money into his dogs, unfortunately can’t afford health insurance and therefore did not have any when his stroke occurred. The mounting medical bills from his stroke were burdensome enough, but he also has his upcoming open-heart surgery that he needs to find the funds for. He is currently recovering from his stroke and should be taking things easy, but unfortunately, he has been trying to get right back to work trying to care for his dogs, family, and community all while trying to make ends meet. Fifteen days after his hospitalization, he did a therapy dog visit at the same hospital just to show his gratitude — that's just who he is as a person. However, two weeks out of work has significantly put him back financially, and after his surgery, he will be unable to work again for potentially two plus months. Without immediate financial help, his future and the future of Golden Healers — his life’s mission — hangs in the balance.

Why does his dream/career matter?

Golden Healers is more than an organization — it’s a movement. It’s therapy dogs visiting children in hospitals, easing the anxiety of students in schools, and offering comfort to first responders after hard days and traumatic events. Mike has time and time again made big sacrifices for his vision, including putting his own health aside, to ensure his dogs are properly trained and able to serve and heal others. You may not believe it, but I have seen it with my own eyes; the ear-to-ear smiles college students have when they see the dogs on campus, the moms in tears at suicide awareness events who thank my dad for what he does, and the teachers in the break rooms gushing over how much they needed some love from a dog after a hard semester. These dogs make a difference. MIKE MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

Now it’s our turn to step up — for Mike, for the dogs, and for our community which they serve.

How you can help:

We are asking the community — locally and globally — to rally behind Mike and donate. Every dollar will go directly to:

- Covering Mike’s medical bills and hospital costs

- Supporting his recovery and rehabilitation

- Keeping Golden Healers operating during his healing

- Ensuring therapy and service dogs-in-training continue their journey to the people who need them

I am going to thank you now for every penny you can spare. I know we are all going through something, and times are financially tough. I want you to know that your money will not just impact one man or one family; in this case, your money will mean so much more. Each donation to this cause will ripple in unknown waves that may just come back to you. Everyday Mike and his dogs impact someone new in the best way. I hope my words have done his story justice and that you find it in your heart to share the love.