Friday morning, August 9th, we woke to a text from Micah letting us know he would not be able to report for work that day because he had no feeling in his legs and feet, and he was not able to walk without assistance.  He communicated that he would keep us updated as the day progressed.  Micah was taken by ambulance very early that morning to Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center where diagnostic testing showed he had a mass in his back, which was putting pressure on his spine.  He was quickly transferred, by ambulance, to Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, PA.  At MSHMC, further diagnostic testing was performed, and Micah was taken directly from that testing to the operating room for a three-hour emergency surgery to prevent permanent paralysis.  During this surgery, the surgeons removed a 4” by 6” section of muscle and bone from Micah’s back, making it necessary to fuse his vertebrae from T2 to T7.  The muscle was intertwined with the mass causing the muscle to need to be removed, and the bones were removed to relieve pressure on the spine, making permanent paralysis less of a possibility.  The surgeons were not able to remove all of the mass as it had grown toward several other places in his body.  After two weeks of recovery, Micah was moved to inpatient rehab, where he learned how to move the lower half of his body again.  In the weeks since surgery and physical therapy, Micah has been diagnosed with Stage 4 Sarcoma, which has metastasized to other parts of his body.  While waiting to start treatments, Micah's mobility decreased, and it was discovered there was new tumor growth pressing on his spinal cord.  Micah is currently undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and will be continuing with inpatient rehab services.  Join us in supporting Micah and his wife Heidi, along with their children, Gwyneth (8), Stephen (5), Ian (3), and Talia (1), as they travel this journey.

You can follow Micah's journey on his CaringBridge page here.