We stand with Stilly! Mike Stillman

    Friends, family and coworkers - I'm setting up this GoFundMe to help out my coworker and friend - Mike Stillman and his family get through a rough patch in what I understand has been a rough year for many of us. Mike is a hard working, family man that helps a lot of people out and now I believe it's our turn to do what we can to help this good man and his family until he can get back on his feet again. 

    I walked into work last week early on a Wednesday morning - the day before Christmas Eve. I didn't see my buddy Mike across from my locker, who would normally be there getting ready for his shift. He'd normally be right there smiling from ear to ear like always and probably joking around giving me a hard time about something or another (usually my terrible Fantasy Football team) the way us brothers always do. I soon found out he wasn't coming into work that day. Well that's not normal, Mike never calls off.

    I starting asking questions and was informed that Mike had fallen very ill the night before and had to be rushed to the hospital. No details. Shortly after, I got ahold of his wife Amanda and she told me that Mike apparently had a Covid induced stroke that I didn't even know was a thing until now. A stroke? He's only 40 and is relatively healthy?! Well, after Googling, unfortunately it is definitely a thing. This Covid induced stroke is not common but studies have shown it's happening more frequently with Covid cases for whatever reason, in younger healthy adults, sometimes with no other signs or symptoms. It can cause clotting and that's what can cause a stroke in otherwise healthy people. 


  So that was stunning news. Stroke? Covid? We didn't even know he had Covid! He didn't either. He had no other symptoms but tested positive at the hospital. I worked with him not even 24 hours prior and he was running around going above and beyond like usual.  Mike is 40 years old, pretty healthy all in all. You have to be healthy to do the job that he does on the railroad. A tough, demanding job he takes pride in that many others don't want to do. When he's not working on the railroad, he's always trying to do something productive to help his family and extended family.  Mike and his wife Amanda are raising two beautiful young girls, Miranda and Makayla. He does his best to help take care of them and other family members in need.

  When this news hit me a day before Christmas Eve, it stopped me in my tracks. Here I was complaining about working too much when suddenly my buddy cannot work at all. I was put off about having to do our Christmas two days later than usual and here's my coworker and friend that wasn't going to be able to celebrate Christmas at all and instead of being at home with his wife and little girls for the holiday, he was suddenly sitting alone, isolated in a hospital room, confused and feeling like he let his family down and I knew all this was tearing him up and it made me feel both sad for this situation and grateful for my own suddenly not so bad problems.  

  Mike helps a lot of people and carries a lot of weight on his back. He's one of the first and few to call and check on me whenever he knows I'm having a hard time with anything. He's a great husband, father, son, friend and coworker who helps anyone and now it's our turn to help Mike. We think eventually he will be back to work and he's going to spend every ounce of his energy rehabbing and getting back there. I jokingly call him "Can't Sit Stillman" because I never see him sitting around. He's always doing something or another trying to get ahead and he wants nothing more to get back on his feet and get back to doing what he does best but it's not going to be an easy or short road and there are no shortcuts.  I'm doing this to help our brother out so anything you can donate will be much appreciated and going directly towards helping his family stay above water in the meantime and of course the incoming medical bills.

Please help if you can. Anything helps. 

Thank you! 

Get well soon Stilly!