Mike's Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery

On December 13, 2022, in Rancho Cucamonga, CA we received a phone call that shattered our world. We were told that Michael, our 22-year-old son, had been shot in the head. For the last few years, Michael had been living and working in Kansas. He was at a house when a friend's gun went off. Michael was airlifted to a hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. The bullet had formed a path of destruction through his trachea, sinus regions, and his brain, resulting in a Severe Traumatic Brain Injury (STBI). Michael underwent 10 hours of surgery. During this time, the surgeons performed heroic life-saving measures. The Neurosurgeon performed a craniectomy and the ENT surgeon conducted reconstructive surgery to his throat, nasal passages, and frontal lobe. Bullet fragments could not be removed and remain lodged in his brain and facial regions.  On December 27, 2022, the hospital's Trauma Neuro ICU team told us we should allow Michael to die with dignity by removing him from all life support. We requested a second opinion. The very next day, Michael started to show some signs of life, and all life support was maintained. He spent 50 days in the hospital in Kansas City, MO. The hospital medical staff shared with us that they believed Michael was a miracle. Michael is young and a young brain can do miraculous things. When he left the hospital, he was breathing on his own but was unable to see, swallow, sit up, or walk on his own. On February 3, 2023, Michael was medically transported to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, CA for rehabilitative therapy. In the short time he has been in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) rehab, he has made incredible progress. He has greatly benefited from the work and knowledge of the highly skilled medical staff and therapists. He is learning to walk, sit up and eat on his own. Soon, Michael is to be discharged to our home where he will receive limited in-home therapy. To allow Michael to continue to make progress, he needs more intensive rehabilitation therapy. We have started a GoFundMe account to hopefully acquire the funds to continue to support Michael’s TBI rehabilitation. Michael has a very long road ahead of him. We have been told that the window to promote the most successful recovery is the first six months to one year of recovery, and we are heading into month four. TBI-specific rehabilitation is not fully covered by our medical insurance. We have requested that our health insurance consider the recommended “more intensive” therapy for Mike, but the insurance company is not willing to approve it. Our family would be eternally grateful for your continued kind thoughts, prayers, and any contributions to Mike's GoFundMe account to help Michael receive the necessary TBI therapies.

If you didn't already know him, Michael has always been a fighter. Michael grew up playing ice hockey and loved the sport for its team camaraderie, fighting spirit, and fast-paced action. These characteristics carried over into most areas of his adolescence and adulthood. He was able to transition his dedication and work ethic skills from the ice into his work. He was an accomplished Black Hawk mechanic when he served in the US Army. Upon separating from service his work ethic carried over to his job as a Stone Mason and as an Aviation Contractor. Michael derived great value from and was a loyal friend to each person in his life. His close friends have been cheering him on and providing immense support on the sidelines since the initial accident. If you can, please help him win this fight, the greatest and most difficult one of his life. Thank you!