Musician Mikey's Stroke Rehab Fund!

LET'S HELP MIKEY GET BACK TO MAKING MUSIC!

Mike Barnes is a 57-year old incredibly talented musician who had a hemorrhagic stroke in September 2015. His boss at Barnhouse's Crazy Music   in Columbia, MO (yup, it's really called Crazy Music) knew something was wrong and called 911. We are so grateful for his quick thinking. Since it was a brain hemorrhage rather than a clot, he wasn't a candidate for the "clot buster" drug, but he received great care from the good folks at Boone Hospital Center, where he spent time in the ICU, a step-down unit, and rehab unit over a several week period. In early October 2015, Mike was transferred to The Bluffs, a skilled nursing facility with an excellent rehab unit where he continues his recovery.

Mike experienced paralysis of his left arm and leg as a result of the stroke. Fortunately, his cognition, speech and hilarious (ok, maybe warped) sense of humor are intact, as well as his ability to channel the voice and spirit of Kermit T. Frog with incredible authenticity. 

How Mikey is doing: In the first week, Mike was able to slightly move his left foot. Since then he has gained enough strenth in his left leg for it to help support his weight, though he still doesn't have feeling/sensation there, or full control of it's use. He is working his tail off in rehab (which is a little worrisome, 'cause he was one skinny dude before the stroke) and continues to improve, but it will be a long haul. This week (late October) Mike has been walking between parallel bars with the help of his physical therapist and working out on machines that look like torture devices to Mike's dear wife, Paula. He is determined to get well.

Mike also has an occupational therapist and the progress is slower with his arm and hand. So far, he can move his left thumb, but nothing more. Mike is right-handed, so thankfully he has full use of his dominant hand and side, but as I mentioned before, Mike is a musician. Not any ordinary musician, I might add. Mikey has an amazing tenor voice. Yeah, I'm biased since he's one of my singing buddies, but the Air Force thought so, too! Mike was a lead singer with a touring Air Force Band for 3 years in his young adult life and has continued his crooning throughout the years. And that's just his voice. He also plays about 25 instruments at a professional level. Okay, maybe I don't really know how many, but I know of at least 5 or 6 wind instruments, as well as guitar, bass, and who knows what else. And you haven't lived if you haven't heard Mike's rendition of "Amazing Grace" on the saxophone. So needless to say, Mikey is extremely motivated to get back full use of his left arm and hand and fingers.

He's had speech therapy, too, but other than encouraging him to enunciate, they figured a guy who can talk like Kermie doesn't need more speech rehab (or maybe they think that's what he really sounds like and he's hopeless???).

Mike has a lovely and loving wife, Paula; they celebrated their 31st anniversary last St. Pat's Day. Paula works for the American Red Cross  as one of the couriers who makes sure that hospitals have the blood products needed for patients needing transfusions. Paula went back to work just a few days after Mikey's stroke, out of concern for paying the bills on one income, and knowing she may need to take unpaid FMLA time off once Mike comes home. And there is the rub. They are working on getting Mike approved for disability but that will take months (he hopes to make a full recovery, but he also knows that could take more than a year, and there are no guarantees). They have health insurance through Paula's job, but it's not clear yet exactly what will be covered and what their out of pocket expenses will be. And in the meantime, Paula is being flooded with bills from the hospital, rehab facility, doctors, etc., and it's overwhelming. 

By the way, Mike and Paula live a very modest lifestyle, having purchased her childhood home (a 1950s small ranch style) from her sibs after their parents' death. So if you contribute, you're not helping pay for someone's McMansion in the burbs or extravagance of any sort.

Though they are in need of financial help, you should know that Mike and Paula are incredibly generous people with their time and talent. Mike has used his musical talents for decades in praise of God through vocal and instrumental music at their church, plus has played with a big band that plays at community events and has helped raise money for Central Missouri Honor Flight , honoring WWII and Vietnam era veterans, and had just started playing with a Christian rock band 6 months before his stroke. He's the kind of guy who would give you the shirt off his back, and always is prepared to help. His pockets and belt always contained screwdrivers, pocket knife, pen, pencil, chapstick, ponytail elastic bands, tuning fork and a solution for just about anything you might need. 

Paula is a beautiful, creative lady who in previous careers has been a caterer and chef extraordinaire, flower arranger, restaurant manager -- an amazing professional in a number of service industries. Plus she knits like a fiend (prayer blankets, shawls, scarves and more), makes beautiful greeting cards and amazing decorated cakes, and has shared the fruit of her talents with family and friends and any number of ministries. And her work is a ministry, as well. She is a valued member of the Red Cross  blood services team and is very serious about doing the best possible job to save lives.

Their generosity is lived out through their actions. They'll never make the big donor rolls of philantropic organizations, but their lives are lived in service every day. 

So how will donations to this fund be used? First to supplement their now-reduced monthly income to make sure Paula can pay utilities and the mortgage to make sure there is still a roof over their heads during Mike's extensive, long-term rehabilitation from the stroke. Beyond that, any additional funds available will go toward whatever medical and rehab expenses are determined to be their out-of-pocket portion, and living expenses as needed until Mike can hopefully return to employment, which is his goal.

And who am I? A choir buddy and one of the hundreds of people who know and love Mikey and Paula and want to help them over this bump in the road. We've seen how they have been there for others all of their lives, and it's our turn to do what we can for them. They are not free-loaders, but kind, honest, hardworking, trustworthy, giving and fun-loving people. 

Many thanks, in advance, on behalf of Mike and Paula Barnes, their friends and family, and all those who can't wait to hear Mikey making amazing music again.
We are all praying for a full recovery. Here are a few photos from October 25, 2015 of Mike in his wheelchair, having just said something that Paula is trying so hard not to laugh at. What a great couple they are!