Let’s help Mike with his uncovered medical expenses

Over the past few years, Mike’s been living with hearing loss in his right ear (resulting in a complete loss), balance issues, and a loss of some of the facial muscles on the right side of his face. He finally received answers on a trip to University Hospital in London when he met Dr. Bajin. Within days of their initial discussion, he was brought in for surgery. This is when it all became real and we understood the severity of the situation.

A cholesteatoma in his right ear grew and eroded inner parts of his ear (why he lost his hearing), and impacted his balance and facial nerves. If it wasn’t removed it would’ve kept growing and Mike wouldn’t be here today. There were many risks involved in the surgery, further impact to his balance, further paralysis of his facial nerves, and uncontrolled brain fluid leaks. There was a leak, but thankfully Dr. Bajin patched it during surgery. The cholesteatoma was successfully removed in a 5-hour surgery… it was the largest and most intricate one Dr. Bajin has EVER worked on, and Mike’s ear canal was surgically closed.

What’s a cholesteatoma? It’s a collection of skin cells collected over many years and it grows into a firm mass. It’s non-cancerous, but it’s treated in the same way as it can grow back if all of the cells aren’t successfully removed. For this reason, Mike will need a special MRI on a regular basis. He’ll also need to continue to heal and have further hearing tests so Dr. Bajin can determine which type of hearing implant Mike will need. All of the options are costly and while there is some provincial funding available, there will be a significant out-of-pocket expense. Mike will also require specialized facial physiotherapy to work on restoring the nerves that have been impacted by the cholesteatoma. The best doctor to help Mike with this is in London, Dr. Yoo.

Many years without answers followed by a fast and furious week… so scary for Mike and everyone who loves him, brought us to where we are today.

Mike’s love of cornhole and the amazing cornhole family we’ve been a part of for the past few years meant a cornhole tournament is a way we can show Mike our support. Join us on March 30 at Average Joe’s in Windsor, at 1pm. You can register to play in the tournament or come to visit and take your chance on winning one of many prizes that will be on display along with a 50/50 draw. It was important to us to host the event in March as we now know it’s Cholesteatoma Awareness Month.

Any donation you can provide is very much appreciated by Mike and his family

as he continues with his recovery and future appointments and expenses.