PRESS CHRISTMAS FOR ALL: Scooter replacement keeps quintuple bypass survivor on the go
As part of the annual Press Christmas for All campaign, we share with readers the stories of those who have received help from the program. This is one of them.
Of the hundreds of thousands of people who undergo heart surgery every year, Michael Mills of Coeur d'Alene joined a smaller group of that population in 2009 when he underwent a quintuple bypass operation.
"You don't hear about a five-way," he said Monday. "You hear about a single, double, a triple here and there, but you don’t hear about a five-way."
A year after his surgery, Mills survived a heart failure relapse.
"The Good Lord said, 'You’re going to go big but you're not coming home to me,'" Mills said. "Yes I did go big, but I didn’t go home."
Mills, 56, is single and resides with a roommate in a home with 24/7 support. He lives with mental and physical disabilities, using a walker to get around in his home and a motorized scooter when he goes into the community.
The bulky scooter Mills had been using for a decade finally stopped working earlier this year.
"With the five-way surgery, I lost circulation in my legs," he said. "That's where the scooter comes in."
Lacking the ability to go far without a walker, Mills needs a mobilized scooter to go shopping and enjoy activities such as fishing.
"I’m feeling fine, but I get exhausted quickly," he said.
He shared an experience from a fishing trip this spring.
"One of my caregivers took me and another participant with her," he said. "On our boat, we all caught fish. It was fun."
In partnership with Chrysalis, a Coeur d'Alene developmental disability agency, Press Christmas for All and Charity Reimagined awarded Mills a new motorized scooter in August so he could continue participating in outdoor and social activities and run necessary errands. The new scooter is not as bulky as the old one and much easier to fit into a car.
Mills is currently working on his holiday shopping list and is planning to do something special for his mom, whose birthday is just after Christmas. He is also looking forward to going feather hunting to finish decorating his walking stick.
With a grateful heart, Mills said he wishes all Press Christmas for All donors and all Coeur d'Alene Press staff and subscribers a Merry Christmas.
“I would be happy to give thanks to anybody, whoever I need to give thanks to, whoever needs to be thanked," he said.
Chrysalis CEO Terri Johnson said Press Christmas for All is amazing for helping community members and for replacing Mills' scooter.
“It is benefiting him because he is now able to get back into his community," she said. "He wouldn’t be able to do that without Charity Reimagined and Press Christmas for All.”
Each year, Press readers donate generously to Press Christmas for All. Every penny raised is distributed to Kootenai County residents. All overhead costs are covered by The Hagadone Corp.
The gift recipients are our neighbors who are struggling, including the elderly, people with disabilities, veterans, the homeless and those with mental illnesses. Many who seek assistance from Christmas for All are working, but living in poverty.
Beneficiaries of Press Christmas for All keep their dignity while the community provides a hand-up to help get them back on their feet.
Press Christmas for All is managed by The Hagadone Corp., with assistance from CharityReimagined.Org. It is a legally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit, run entirely by volunteers.
Here are four ways to donate:
• Mail a check to Press Christmas for All, 215 N. Second St., Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814.
• Call The Press and make a secure credit card donation over the phone: 208-664-8176.
• Visit cdapress.com. Click on Christmas for All and make a secure online donation.
• Drop off your check at The Press weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at 215 N. Second St. in downtown Coeur d'Alene.
A heartfelt thanks to our recent donors
Harry & Donna Robertson, Norman & Carol Ridge, William Wood & Kris Olson-Wood, Gloria Hammon, In memory of Margie & Bill Giesa, Dean Griffin, Richard Moore, J & L Sharples, Don & Connie Boyd, Rodney & Kim Strom, Lagonda Mcdonald, Janice D'Arc, Gary Freeland, Margie Wise, Bob & Dorothy Yohe, Donald & Donna Bresemann, Sandy & Jack Brien, Thomas & Karen Stoesser, J.R & P.A Albee, Scott & Debbie Sanner, Evelyn Huender, William & Susan Sturgeon, Robert & Jackie Jewett, Alice Cieciera, Josephine Lee Prophet, Thomas & Sally Stuber, Nancy & Michael Piscitelli, Douglas Weir, Michael White & Deborah Fuller-White, In memory of my sister Sherry, Dale & Sandy Bunch, Lillian Jaynes & Terry Rinaldi, WA & CF Delyea, Conrad & Marilyn Lahr, Barbara Zimmer, Graham & Betsy Crutchfield, Craig Burkhart, Bradley & Catrin Stoddard, Dave & Rosemary Sissons, Arthur & Nancy Flagan.
