Julie and Mike Futscher
Lorraine Wilson
Imagine that you are a loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend who has spent a lifetime doing things to help other people. Then imagine that you are the victim of a horrific vehicle accident that has left you paralyzed from the chest down, facing painful rehabilitation and overwhelming medical bills.
You have imagined our 2022 Woodworker of the Year—Mike Futscher. Mike has volunteered countless hours per year to the woodshop, monitoring and helping others, but most of all, he has been there to do our monthly blowdowns and perform maintenance on our equipment. He is well known for his generosity in helping everyone he meets, not only at the woodshop, but with friends and neighbors, along with fellow bocce, Texas toss, and horseshoe players.
Mike and his wife Julie were driving home from a well-deserved August vacation in Kentucky when they were hit by a truck just three hours from their Texas home. Julie was okay, but Mike was not. He was airlifted to a trauma facility with a punctured lung, internal bleeding, 10 broken/cracked ribs, and multiple spinal fractures. Surgery was performed, applying screws and rods to help support his spine. He was left paralyzed from the chest down and informed that it is questionable whether he will ever walk again.
Mike faces a very long and expensive road ahead requiring extensive care at a Dallas-area rehabilitation hospital and other facilities. When he does eventually return home, he will need continued support and household modifications for daily living. Those expenses include everything from a motorized wheelchair and a specialized vehicle to home modifications. Mike is currently in rehab, and many of these expenditures will need to be made before he returns home, which will hopefully be within a month to six weeks.
This man who has done so much for others now needs our help. Whether you know Mike, have ever been helped by him, or you just believe that good people who care for others deserve to be cared for, please donate for Mike. You can make a positive difference for him. Please go to gofund.me/597e8e2d.
Mike, his wife Julie, and their son Rob are incredibly grateful for all the love and support they continue to receive during these truly challenging times.