Devastating illnesses, tornado and job loss

Hi. My name is Mike Askins and I was a radio guy. On January 8th, 2023 I was hospitalized for serious lung infections and lower lung collapse. I wasn't able to breath. This wasn't covid. But, it nearly took my life, a few times. I was in the hospital for over 5 months. I'm asking for to read my story and your consideration for financial donations.

I had been feeling badly for a couple of months. My family were concerned and were pushing for me to see the doctor, which I finally did. The doctor put me on antibiotics but I wasn't feeling better. My family pushed for me to go back to the doctor but I fought back. I was busy. (Please, if you're reading this, go to the doctor when you're family urges you to go. I did not go back.)

Well, right after the holidays, on January 8th, I stood up, without my crutches, and tried to walk. My family found me, collapsed on the wood floor, out of it with fever, and so my wife said, "let's see him argue with us now, we are going to the emergency room!" My oldest son, Thomas, literally lifted me (I'm a big 'ol boy, too) into a wheelchair and had me loaded in the car before my wife even collected all the stuff you usually take to the ER. Needless to say, they kept me and moved me to the ICU.

I was in the hospital ICU for 24 days in a medically induced coma. They ran millions of tests. I had an antibiotic resistant UTI, multiple lung infections and my lungs had partially collapsed. There they placed me on a ventilator (I have a neat scar from that) and had a PEG tube placed so I could be fed through a tube while in the the coma (that scar looks like a bullet hole in my chest!).

Once I was awakened from the induced coma, I learned my body didn't want to cooperate. I couldn't raise my arms or move my legs. I needed help breathing because my lungs were weak.

After the initial scare was over, I was transferred by ambulance to an acute care facility in the ICU unit for another 42 days. There I was weaned off the ventilator and given more therapy to use my arms and hands. My legs and feet were not cooperating but my breathing improved. Once off the ventilator and once the infections, which kept returning, were under control my voice started to return. My voice. I haven't even talked about how scary that was. My voice has been my livelihood for my entire adult life. Nearly losing my voice was so scary. Maybe more than nearly losing my life. I wasn't aware all the close calls while I was in the hospital ICU. I have zero memory of any of it. I only know what my family and friends have told me. But, I knew my voice and legs weren't working right. My wife INSISTED I be transferred back to the hospital and tested for stroke and blood clots. The Acute Care Facility refused but she fought hard. It paid off, because it was also confirmed I DID have blood clots in my legs. While in the hospital in the coma, they did not turn me to pleven by blood clots from forming. We found the reason why my legs didn't work!

I was moved to a skilled nursing home for 90 days. They tried so hard to get my legs to work but I still have no feeling in my ankles and feet. That has not improved and I'm told it probably never will. I'm wheelchair bound.

My employer, Citizen Potawatomi Nation Tribe, which owns the radio station since they purchased it over 20 years ago, had me work from home. I truely appreciated that and although they removed my title of Station Manager and reduced my salary greatly, I did my best to give them everything, just like I did the previous the previous 20 years. I've only worked at KGFF Radio since high school, over 48 years. I've worked there through multiple owners and always gave the station 100%.

While I was in the middle of all this medical and job drama, Shawnee Oklahoma had a tornado hit. It was on April 19, 2023. It was a doozy, an F3. We got hit hard! But not nearly as hard as many of our neighbors. Our heart goes out to all the others also hit. We lost windows, our gazebo, and had trees badly mutilated and thrown down. Our pecan tree went through our roof. My family lost power for two weeks and lost the food in the refrigerator and freezers. But, my family were safe. It's been months and we are still getting repairs.

Thousands of you know me from growing up in Shawnee, Oklahoma. I've attending school here and church here. Some know me from the Boy Scouts with my three sons, where I might have been the Scout Leader for your child. Or, maybe you know me from listening to me through my morning radio show. I've always tried to give back to the community and help where I can. That won't change because of this illness.

I want to thank all those folks who have already donated to this Gofundme page. You should know that you've paid for my ramp that got me into my front door! Thank you. You've also helped pay for my power wheel chair, my potty chair, my transfer board am ND countless medical bills.

My wheelchair will not fit into our 1950's ranch house with its 5'x8' bathroom. So I have not been able to use our bathroom or shower properly since I've been home. We have a lot of changes that we need to make before our house is handicap friendly. That's were your donations will help the most. Thank you!!

UPDATE:

I had a relapse with my lungs but I was only in the ICU for less than a week. I seen by back into a better rehab center were I made great progress. Your donations paid for that almost $3000 deductable, thank you. I was there less than 30 days.

Right after I returned home, my mother passed away. She had dementia and was sole care give to my sister, Anna. Her death left Anna with no income. Anna is also disabled. My wife stepped up and took care of the funeral and everything for Anna.

At this point, I was ready to return to work in my power wheelchair. However, I was told that my employer would not allow me to return to my job in a wheelchair. Keep in mind, for 48 years I've sat in an office chair with wheels and was able to perform my job but I was fired because I was not able to walk and in a wheelchair. Iwas deviated. Wheelchairs were not allowed. My employer told me a job would be waiting for be when I could walk again, but I was not permitted to work in a wheelchair. I know what you are thinking... that's against the law since the Americans with Disabilities Act passed. The tribe claims sovereign nation and refused to comply with the ADA. So, I lost my job right before my 64th birthday.

To make matters worse, my wife, Karen, who has returned to work and was taking care of our household, as well as my sister, had a pulmonary embolism. She has been extremely ill. She lost her job with Red Rock Behavioral Health in August, one month after I lost mine, because she missed too much work. They refused to fire her. She was forced to resign. Late January we found out my wife has stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Our income has taken a huge hit. We are living on $902 soc sec. We both applied for disability but that could take a year or two. Until then, we are trying to hold on for my 65th birthday and Social Security benefits. If I go on social security before that is a HUGE deduction.

We hate to ask for help. All we can do is promise to do our best to pay it forward. Thank you.