Michael has chosen to fundraise with HelpHOPELive in part because HelpHOPELive assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility for donors. Donors can be sure that funds donated will be used only to pay or reimburse medically-related expenses. To make a tax-deductible donation to this fundraising campaign, click on the Donate Now button or call 800.642.8399.

Michael suffered a severe accident in March of 2013 while skiing in Lake Placid, NY. He broke his neck and sustained extensive damage to his spinal cord, resulting in paralysis from the shoulders down.

After being airlifted to the trauma center in Burlington, Vermont, he stayed in the intensive care unit for nine days. The first several days were spent in a coma. The balance of the time there was devoted to overcoming critical medical issues and reaching a sufficiently stable condition to allow his transfer to specialized care at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, the facility where Christopher Reeves (a.k.a. Superman) underwent his spinal cord treatment.