Mike Fickle - Funeral Expenses & Support

Anybody who knows the Fickle family (Mike, my Stepdad and Barbara, my Mom) knows Mike is the guy we all call when we need help. He is always ready and willing to jump in the truck and head straight for trouble if it means helping a friend or neighbor and even strangers. Often Mike even helps fulfill a need that he sees needs done, whether the person on the receiving end dared to ask for help or not. Chopping or loading firewood, building fences, hauling livestock, picking up groceries, mowing, mechanic work, pulling you out of the mud or snow, diagnosing virtually any life issue possible via FaceTime; Mike is always there. Anne Frank once said, “Nobody has ever become poor by giving.” That describes Mike to the core.

 

Now the tables have turned, and Mike needs our help. I hope to help my parents get through this challenging journey ahead. Monday morning, January 17, 2022, Mike checked the fence line. It had snowed the night before, and since it had warmed up a little bit, he decided to use the snowmobile. Mike has back problems and has had surgery in the past, so he tries to limit long walking distances, so he took the snowmobile.

 

As he was going down the fence line, he crossed a patch of ground that looked safe. Underneath the layer of snow was a long, half-buried slab of rock that he could not see. The snowmobile skis hit the slab and stuck between it and the frozen ground. Mike toppled over the handlebar and landed only a couple of feet away from the snowmobile. Mike landed on his head, hitting the slab and instantly snapped his neck.

 

Mike could not move and lay in the snow for several minutes until the neighbor kids saw him. They stopped and tried to help him. But he couldn’t move. Still able to speak, he told them to run to the house and get Barbara. She immediately called 911 and drove out to the fence as quickly as possible. “Barbara, I can’t feel my legs, and I heard my neck snap. I messed up.”

 

He was rushed by ambulance to meet the helicopter in Aldrich and was flown to Cox Medical Center in Springfield. Doctors confirmed he had broken his neck and damaged his spinal cord. The fractures were at C5, C6 and C7 with a non repairable spinal cord injury. That night they operated, and what was supposed to be a 2-hour surgery ended up going on for 6 hours. Cervical spine cages were installed in front and back and wired together. An anterior cervical discectomy and fusion was done with incisions through the throat. A posterior cervical fusion was also performed. The doctors were unable to repair the paralyzing damage to his spinal cord, but they were able to stabilize the spinal column. Mike now has paraplegia.

 

The first couple of days were tough. Mike was put on a respirator, and a nasogastric tube was put into his stomach. He was unable to breathe his own. Mike could not speak or move his hands. It was very difficult for him to communicate to Barbara and the nurses his pain.

 

After two days, Mike had enough strength in his diaphragm, and the respirator was removed. Then due to shallow breathing, he got pneumonia. The fear was he would have to go back onto the respirator. But Mike did his very best to fight to breathe, so that did not have to happen. It has been three days without the respirator, and his breathing is getting stronger every day.

 

Mike has limited movement in his arms, cannot close his fist, and cannot grasp anything with his hands. He still has no feeling from his chest down. The Doctor is not optimistic that Mike will walk again. As soon as he is stable, he will begin his long road to recovery through many months of treatment and rehabilitation.

Mike has always made a living working with his hands. He loves to fish, ride horses, go hiking and hang out on the lake with his family. These are things we all take for granted and things he may never be able to experience again fully. Tying up his work boots, getting the wood stove ready for winter, plowing the drive, playing his guitar….life changed in a split second. Mike built the same house they live in with his own hands, and now we need help to keep the lights on.

 

Mike has been the sole breadwinner as Barbara herself has many medical issues and is disabled. Mike will be unable to provide for his family or cover any upcoming expenses financially. He will need home modifications, medical equipment, medical expenses, and just the basic daily living costs to be covered. Soon a wheelchair-equipped vehicle will have to purchase as well.

 

Mike has a loving and determined group of friends and family who stand by him, and we are all doing the best we can to make the situation better. Please help Mike and his family get through this life-changing event. No matter how small, any positive wishes or contributions will make Mike and Barbara’s journey a little easier to handle. All support will go towards medical and living expenses.

 

Thank you for reading to the end and for any help you can give. It is genuinely appreciated.