Mike's Fight

Mike Hirsch, our friend, Robby-Lee's partner, and daddy to beautiful 17 month old Stevie-Rose, was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer in July of this year. He is 44 years old.

After learning of his diagnosis, his medical team developed an aggressive plan to fight his cancer and get him well. Unfortunately, that plan involves multiple rounds of radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery to remove his tumor. His treatment began October 4th, 2022 and is projected to take, at minimum, one year. A big part of his journey will involve traveling from his home in Kamloops to Calgary and Kelowna for treatment, and time spent there, and at home, healing and resting.

I have been close friends with Robby for 20 years, and with Mike since the very first day he met Robby, 19 years ago. I have seen them grow as friends, partners, and more recently as loving parents. It breaks my heart to imagine how they are feeling in this moment, and the struggles they will face over the next year as a family.

Mike, if you havent spent time with him, is stoic, proud, and tenacious, mixed with an overflowing amount of kindness, compassion, and humour toward everyone he meets. He is loyal to his family,  and works tirelessly to support and provide for them. For these reasons, he has so far continued to work through the initial stages of this battle in an effort to keep life as "normal" as possible. During the next year, there will become a time that he will be unable to work due to surgery dates, travel, and necessity to rest and heal, at which time there will be an additional stressor of finances for he and Robby.

The purpose of this gofundme is to relieve some of that imminent financial pressure that Mike and Robby are going to be faced with, and allow them the room, time, and space to adjust to his health and recovery.

The idiom 'it takes a village' is most poignant now. Please consider being part of Mike and Robby's village by donating to help them on their path of healing.

All funds raised will go toward travel to and from Calgary and Kelowna for Mike's treatment, and to help support he and Robby while he is unable to work.

Thank you taking the time to read this, and for the incredible support all of you have given. ❤️