Micah Magnusson
Eighteen year old Micah Magnusson had been waiting for May 29, 2007 for months! He’d been sprucing up his parents’ home and yard the entire spring in anticipation for that day: his high school graduation open house celebration – painting, trimming, laying mulch, and stringing lights. He’d even been advertising the big day at school by wearing a t-shirt with lettering on it inviting all who saw it to come to his party!
Then the big day arrived, and something went terribly wrong. Micah, Haslett High School’s football defensive back and place-kicker, and popular homecoming king, started feeling poorly. He left school, rode his bike along a several mile route and arrived home where his parents and other family members were preparing for that evening’s festivities. A very bad headache, disorientation and vomiting quickly caused his parents enough concern to get him into the family vehicle and head for Sparrow Hospital. En route, they stopped at a fire station, where Micah was intubated and rushed to the Emergency Room. Once there, a scan revealed massive bleeding on Micah’s brain. A neurosurgeon and his team were ready to perform emergency brain surgery and Micah was whisked away from his parents to an unknown outcome.
This day of anticipation turned into a day of tragedy and incredible fear. The Magnusson family was catapulted into a journey of waiting and faith that they could never have imagined. As news of Micah’s condition spread, people began arriving at the hospital. People were everywhere - sitting at tables, filling the lounge, spilling out into the halls – all waiting to hear the outcome of the surgery on their son, brother, nephew, cousin, friend, teammate, hero.
The waiting was agony. Groups of people huddled in prayer, hugged, cried, whispered and waited – waited for the news that Micah would be alright.
Hours later we all got the news that Micah had survived the surgery, but he would have to make it through the night.
He made it through the night, but he would have to make it through the first 24 hours. He made it through the first 24 hours, and then had to make it through the first 48 hours, then 72. The waiting was agony.
There were so many milestones to wait for and we all waited. We all waited for him to respond to us or to anyone, to breathe on his own, to move from ICU to the step down unit, to wake up, to come to the point where he could be taken home and cared for by his loving family and a supportive community. And each of those milestones came and Micah went home!
His family has been relentless in caring for Micah, in seeking help for him, and in cheering him on to achieve, at times, incrementally miniscule measures of progress. His father once described the speed of Micah’s progress was like placing a piece of paper on top of another daily – Day by day, at times, it’s been hard to see the progress, but over time, that “pile” has added up and you can see improvement. Micah is gaining ground!
The heart of a warrior and disciplined athlete has been revealed through all that has transpired. Micah’s tenacity and hopeful, faith-filled outlook is moving him forward. Instead of pumping iron, Micah labors at spelling out words with yes and no responses with his eyes (“yes” is up and “no” is down) as a friend or family member calls out letters of the alphabet. Instead of practicing kicking field goals, Micah musters all he has to swallow small spoonfuls of yogurt. Instead of laughing and leading friends in a Bible study Micah lays and listens as his friends read to him.
But Micah’s got big dreams and big plans! He wants to be a youth pastor. He wants to attend Moody Bible Institute where he had planned on going this past fall. He wants to be able to communicate and become independent again and reach the goals he has already set!
Micah spends his time hopefully persevering and laboring to regain all that he can. His family’s steadfast persistence and determination in pursuing therapies and treatments which will help facilitate Micah’s recovery is an utmost priority. Micah has already received a two week cycle of hyperbaric treatments and is looking forward to another cycle this spring. He has experienced significant improvement in his ability to respond in his therapy sessions as a result. Your financial assistance will help pay for the expenses of these additional treatments and physical therapy sessions using the Suit Method.
Micah and his family are also anxiously looking forward to obtaining and utilizing an eye gaze communication system that will enable Micah to initiate communication with others for the first time since May 29th. This device will also make the goal of taking college courses obtainable for Micah.
It’s been a long wait – filled with love and tears, prayers and hope, sacrifice and faith, resolve and belief that miracles still happen. You are invited to be part of this unfolding miracle through your prayers and financial gifts.
Psalm 33:20-22
We wait in hope for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
In Him our hearts rejoice
For we trust in His holy name.
May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord,
Even as we put our hope in you.