Help Mike Hirsch (Owner SoCal Skateshop) who has been ill.

Hi, I am Linda Hirsch, and I’m reaching out on behalf of my brother Mike Hirsch, owner of Socal Skateshop. Information on this GoFundMe was provided by my brother Mike Hirsch.

Mike needs your help due to his financial situation, due to illness.

Mike truly appreciates all the donations he has received so far. He wanted to update everyone that the money received from the Go Fund Me, as of April 6, 2025, has paid the past due money owed to his Health Insurance and also toward rent owed to his skateboard shop. His health insurance they were about to inactivate it and now its active again. He really is thankful for all of you. Since this date he has been able to pay more past due bills and has been posting updates on this Go fund me.

The funds donated will solely be used to pay off mounting medical bills, healthcare insurance, post-pandemic long term vendor debt, back rent, tax preparer for 2024 ($1500) so he can retain for 2025, and other debt he is currently unable to pay.

Mike was diagnosed with Testicular Cancer in June of 2024 and has gone thru chemotherapy and has not been unable to work his typical 7-day work week and is somewhat bed ridden since May 2024 due to his illness.

Mike was diagnosed with Cancer when he was admitted to the hospital for ongoing DVT (Deep-Vein Thrombosis) with Pulmonary Embolism. Post Chemo his oncologist is still requesting further scans and bloodwork and he is hopeful these will come back negative and can put Cancer behind him. Unfortunately his DVT has been acting up more and more, over the past 4 months, with his legs swelling and his wounds that will not heal. He has recently tried self treating his wounds in order to avoid going further in debt with increased medical bills, but the wounds and pain is just getting worse. He has days when he is in extreme pain for days at a time, bedridden and describes the days as a blur.

Mike appreciates all the help he gets from family when they are available. Mikes parents live in Oregon and are supportive from afar. Myself (Linda) and brother Steve help Mike when we are in town and from afar. Mikes daughter Gabriella has been supportive helping Mike when she is in town. His son Christian is supportive, living with Mike, and when he is not working at the skate shop, he takes Mike to the hospital and appointments, being a caregiver to his dad. Mike's brother Mark lives close by and is supportive by taking Mike to appointments and other tasks that Mike is unable to complete. The latest hospital trip in March, Mike was treated with wound therapy and had blood work taken. He is now set up to go every week to have his wounds taken care of by professionals. He is hoping he will heal soon. Mike told them he has been coughing up blood as well, and he has been coughing up blood on and off since his Cancer diagnosis. Mike was told that whenever he is coughing up blood due to his pulmonary embolism, that he must go into the hospital immediately.

Mike, has had his business, Socal Skateshop, for 23 years. He has been involved with skateboarding since 1973 and was a sponsored skateboarder from 1976-1984.

Mike is so thankful for his son Christian and long-time employee Zack for holding things down at Socal Skateshop. Mike continues to try to maintain his eCommerce site, handling accounting, and coordinating shop activity 7 days a week from his home office. He has had to eliminate warehouse shop space and lay off the majority of his shop employees to keep operating expenses down to a minimum.

For the past year, due to the inability to re-stock, shop sales are at a point to where incoming revenue is barely covering fixed monthly expenses. Therefore the inability to pay off outstanding payables to vendors hand-cuffing the ability to restock with our vendors. This inability to re-stock has ultimately led to 75% decrease in sales in 2024 compared to 2023. This year, 2025, things have got even harder with sales dropping even further.

Mike is really embarrassed to have to even ask for help. He says just everything is so upside down at this time, he is in desperation So he decided to move forward with a GoFundMe. He truly appreciates any dollar donation to his GoFundMe you can provide to help with his personal expense situation, he is unable to pay, and helping to fund and save his business that would also resonate beyond his situation to other businesses as well.

Every donation, big or small, will make a difference to save this long-standing reputable core skateboard shop, Mike, his family, and his amazing long-term employee so they can continue to serve skateboarders around the world another 20+ years and beyond. Mike is hopeful that things will turn around for the better.

Thanks for your consideration and support,

Mike Hirsch

Owner

Socal Skateshop