Mike Petri

Mike Petri is a happy going guy, full of life. He loves hanging out with friends, telling stories, and being the life of the party.

While he is an Air Traffic Controller in Fargo, ND, he keeps busy by dabbling in many things: DJ’ing, farming, bar-tending, cooking, gardening, and working on things in the garage. He enjoys going to music festivals, watching hockey games, boating, dancing, snowmobiling, singing karaoke, playing games, shooting, making new food inventions, and the list goes on and on. Mike is a proud American, Eagle scout, Air Traffic Controller, and is always willing to lend a helping hand.

Mike was looking forward to a February filled with fun snowmobile trips with friends and his 2015 Polaris snowmobile. February 2nd, 2017 a group of family and friends went to the upper peninsula of Michigan for a long weekend snowmobiling in the beauty. Mike stated that if his sled was still running and his carcass could handle it, he was going to join another group of friends February 10th going snowmobiling in a different area of the upper peninsula (UP).

Well his carcass made it and he made another long drive to the UP. It was a warm day and he was excited to sport his old school Suzuki snowsuit. The group of friends got settled into their rental cabin, made sure the snowmobiles were all ready to go and running well and went for a little afternoon trip. They took the trail to a bar where they had a drink and chatted for awhile until they decided they would go across the lake to eat dinner. It had just gotten dark out, about 15 miles into their trip when somehow Mike’s sled and an oncoming snowmobile collided and exchanged skis at a high speed. His ski broke off and his snowmobile flew in the air flipping multiple times over while Mike went flying off his sled.

Thankfully Mike wore a tech vest to protect his vital organs and a helmet, cracked in 3 places, but it somehow come off during the crash. Mike laid on the snow covered lake instantly unconscious. His sister, friends, and eventually an off-duty paramedic all tried to keep his airway open, him breathing, neck aligned straight, and made sure he stayed alive until paramedics came 50 minutes later by snowmobile ambulance. Fighting for his life, Mike was transported by snowmobile ambulance off the lake, then by ambulance to the closest hospital in Michigan where a helicopter was waiting to airlift him to the ICU of a level 1 trauma center in Wisconsin.

Since this instant life changing event February 10th, 2017, Mike has been fighting to wake up from a coma and recover from his severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Family and friends of Mike Petri are raising money to pay for uninsured medical expenses associated with Catastrophic Injury. The plan is for Mike to go home with his sister (who is an RN). Donations are needed for home modifications, durable medical equipment, home health care, therapies, medications, medical supplies, and other expenses that won’t be covered by insurance. Help Hope Live assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility to the full extent allowed by law 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.

For more information, please contact Help Hope Live at 800.642.8399.

Thank you so much for your support!