The Michael Stolzenberg Rehabilitative Trust

A courageous eight year old boy; this is a little background on Mikey’s continuing journey and fight.

On July 22, 2008, Michael was rushed to the emergency room with a bacterial infection that was not responding to antibiotics. Shortly after he arrived, he went into septic shock and the doctors were forced to put him on a ventilator. His condition quickly worsened to the point of hopelessness, and as a last ditch effort, he was put on continuous dialysis. The doctors and nurses at Joe DiMaggio’s Children’s Hospital made heroic efforts over the next seven weeks to keep Mikey alive, and have said that he was one of the five sickest patients ever treated in their Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Identification of the bacteria as Chromobacterium Violacium (a bacteria which lives in tropical soil and is not usually a problem unless the person has an immunological disorder) was key to his survival, as once the bacteria was identified, the doctors could target it with effective antibiotics.

Miraculously, Mikey survived with his intelligence and wit; however, oxygen depravation to his limbs has resulted in the amputation of both hands and both feet. Mikey will have to live with the results of his illness for the rest of his life. At this point, it is unknown whether Mikey will be able to write, use a computer or even feed or dress himself, much less participate in the every-day normal activities that he so enjoyed prior to his illness. Up until July 22nd, Mikey was an avid athlete and had just earned the starting quarterback position on his pee wee tackle football team; he also enjoyed playing lacrosse, riding his bike and all of the other activities most 8-year-olds thrive on.

Michael’s only hope of regaining some independence and normalcy in his life is to have superior prosthetics. The prosthetics that will allow him to participate in physical activities and to take care of himself in any manner are not the type approved by health insurance. While many amputees can survive with the basic prosthetics covered by insurance, they are usually only faced with one amputation, not four. Compounding the issue is that Michael is only 8, and the four prosthetics will need to be replaced bi-annually as he grows. This is not a task for any one family to face alone.

Mikey dreams of walking and running again, of being able to feed himself, and having some independence and quality of life. Please help us make all of Mikey’s dreams come true! There are no limits!

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