Mike’s been one of our longtime supporters, but as we hear from so many people, he never thought he’d need us.
“My first year in the MCA role I started 6 weeks after a tornado ripped through my hometown, and we were raising funds for two KW associates whose homes were damaged. The next summer, I “bet” the Market Center they could shave my head if we raised $10,000 for KW Cares. That haircut happened in September 2015 when we passed $11,500 from Greensheet donations.”
Mike, his wife Laura, and their little girl were anxiously awaiting the birth of their newest addition last spring. But when Baby Owen was born, the doctors knew immediately that things weren’t right.
Double Diagnosis
After all the testing was done, doctors confirmed two conditions that would impact baby Owen’s first year of life. He had Tethered Cord Syndrome and a VSD—Ventricular Septal Defect—a small hole in the wall of his heart. Along the way, he’s also had multiple ear infections, to the point where Owen has also had to get ear tubes to save his hearing. Poor little guy!
The spinal cord is supposed to hang loose, unattached, so as you grow, the nerves of the spinal cord aren’t pulled by your increasing height. Without treatment, the risk was that Owen would slowly lose function in any area below where the cord was tethered. Owen’s cord was tethered just above his hip, so the recommended course was to surgically intervene once he was past 6 months old.
Owen was born in May of 2025, but having to wait for surgery until February 2026 meant the family had to hit their out-of-pocket max twice before insurance kicked in. That takes a toll on any young family’s emergency fund.
“We made the decision not to make asks of the associates in either Region for a GoFundMe or additional resources, as we wanted to put our Agents and their needs first. We were also initially confident we could handle the expense with additional shifts, or new coaching clients, which haven’t materialized yet.”
How Owen’s Doing Today
Luckily, Owen’s heart defect closed on its own without any surgical intervention. He’s a happy and healthy one-year-old who’s started chasing his big sister and getting into everything!
How You Can Help
Thanks to your donations, we were able to help Mike’s family with their out-of-pocket expenses. It’s terrifying to have your emergency fund wiped out at any point, but especially with a new baby.
Your gifts to KW Cares help families like Mike’s during health-related emergencies. Please donate today!
“Thank you to all the $5 and five-figure donors over the years. Your support was there for my family when we needed it most. We’ll continue to contribute again soon so we can be there for yours. I hope you never need it, and we will be here for you if you do. “
