Mitchell's Haven
Introduction
About Mitchell's Haven
What defines a hero to us? Heroes are the school teachers battling illnesses while continuing to educate our children. They’re the single parents working tirelessly to make ends meet and provide for their families. They’re the veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country and now find themselves in need of support. They’re the children facing unique challenges that insurance simply can’t address.
At Mitchell’s Haven, we believe that everyone deserves a chance to thrive, regardless of the obstacles they may face. That’s why we’re dedicated to helping these heroes get back on their feet and regain their footing in times of crisis. Through financial assistance, we aim to alleviate the burden of medical bills, essential needs, housing costs, and more, allowing our heroes to focus on what truly matters: healing, growing, and thriving.
My Story
Mitchell is my little brother. We were born 18 months apart. As kids we did everything together. We grew up on a small farm in Southwest Kansas. As young children we spent our days outside, playing in the mud, in the corn and wheat fields, carefree. We helped dad change water and mom with chores around the house. We just really enjoyed growing up in a rural town in the country. When Mitchell was 5 years old, and just as my parents were separating, he was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. My mom knew something was wrong, just like all moms usually do, but despite her determination to figure it out, she was unable to find a willing doctor to take her seriously. As time progressed Mitchells symptoms worsened to the point that they performed an MRI which revealed a mothers worst nightmare. Her baby boy had a brain tumor growing on his brain stem that was the size of a lemon.
Your brain stem is an extremely important part of your body. It is responsible for balance, coordination, reflexes and helps regulate body functions including your breathing and heart rate. Removal of a brainstem tumor is extremely risky. The survival rate depends on how early it is caught and the highest level of survivorship is 37% if caught before the first year. We are not exactly sure how long it had been growing. Long enough to be the size of a lemon in a little 5 year old boy’s brain. After lots of scans, the decision was made to try and remove the tumor.
The doctor could not remove all of the tumor and significant damage was done to Mitchells brainstem. This left him unable to walk, use his arms, talk, or really do anything for himself. The doctor gave him less than 2 years to live. He was wheelchair bound and there were a lot of follow up appointments, physical therapy and adjustments that Mitchell needed and my mom had to drive to Denver, Colorado to get him chemo and radiation every two weeks. It was a devastating outcome. As you can imagine, a newly single mom taking care of three kids of which one has just been completely disabled. She had no college education or degree to get a good paying job. She was a farmer’s wife and always wanted to be, but found herself on a new journey. Working multiple jobs trying to provide for her family with little to no outside help was a struggle. For years things were very hard, but she always worked diligently and kept her composure. She did anything and everything to give us a great life. She taught me how to work hard and never give up no matter life’s circumstances.
Outcome
It’s because of what happened to Mitchell and our family that I have developed a passion for helping people who are in true need. My hope is to lessen the financial burden and stress that unforeseen situations can cause on families and individuals. I want to give them hope and a means to get back to a somewhat normal life. To help families and individuals not have to stress about basic necessities like food, water, shelter and medical care can make a huge difference in every day life.
Goal
At Mitchells Haven we strive to do the right thing everyday, even when no one is looking. But we can’t do it alone. Mitchell’s Haven relies on the support of our community to identify these heroes and provide them with the assistance they so desperately need. Whether it’s through nominations, donations, or volunteer efforts, every contribution makes a meaningful difference in someone’s life.
We ensure that your donations will be used specifically for families and individuals facing financial hardships. We will pay off debt, medical bills, and use financial gifts to improve the lives of families and individuals struck by life changing events whether that be natural disasters, accidents, illnesses, or extreme injuries.
In a world where the wealth gap continues to widen, Mitchells Haven’s efforts to bridge the divide and support those who are most vulnerable are more crucial than ever. We want to help these heroes by laying the groundwork to rebuild their lives and regain a sense of normalcy and dignity.
We will also strive to hold insurance companies accountable for payments. One of my goals over the next few years is to find a way to make radical change in the health insurance sector. We want to support local schools and teachers who struggle making insurance payments and not benefitting from the options available. Another goal is to help the elderly with Medicare receive hearing solutions. There are essentially no benefits to help our elderly hear the world properly and on a fixed income it’s nearly impossible for these individuals to get what they need and deserve. Not being able to hear is a safety issue. Hearing issues distorts the mind, causes dementia and can cause other health problems like depression, anxiety and irritability.
Conclusion
