John, furloughed twice from his position with TWA as a pilot, decided this time to keep his part time sales position after he was reinstated again and began to fly only on the weekends. Things were finally looking up. He and Rosemary decided to keep the family on both insurance policies. In the background God was already at work.
Then the hammer fell. In the summer of 1976 during a baseball game Mike became so weak he was unable to finish the game. Over weeks of testing Mike was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia; the system which produces bone marrow was shutting down its production of blood platelets and white and red blood cells. The battle for Mike’s life was on, and his parents began to pray desperately for Gods intervention. The accepted treatment of mega doses of steroids, which attempt to shock the bone marrow in to producing blood, was begun. The treatments swelled Mike’s young body with pervasive edema, making him unrecognizable. Over the next 3 months Mike was given approximately 200 blood transfusions just to keep him alive. But the treatment failed. John and Rosemary were told by the doctors to let their son go. But, how could they refuse to give their son every chance to fight and live? They continued to pray.
Then a life line from God appeared. A new procedure was available which had shown some limited success: bone marrow transplant. But the doctors at UCLA Hospital refused to proceed with the transplant, even after it was found that his brother Greg was a match. They had no confidence Mike would survive the procedure. Then beyond all hope a clinic was found that was experimenting with many new cancer treatments. Because John held health insurance policies from both of his jobs, Mike was accepted as a patient, and the experiments began. John and Rosemary clearly saw God’s hand at work. He was in control and had been preparing for just this circumstance to save their boy, even through John’s furloughs. Not one of the doctors treating Mike believed he would survive. Mike says they told him later that they would try anything new on him and then watch to see what would happen. In their eyes the situation was hopeless.
Before the surgery, on his 11th birthday Mike was radiated for 4 hours, in order to prevent his system from rejecting the new marrow. The surgery was performed. After 10 prayer filled days his body began to produce blood, and the family knew that he would survive. The consequences of the transplant were severe and permanent. The formation of cataracts necessitated 6 eye operations over the next several years and destroyed his tear ducts. Mikes saliva glands no longer functioned. As a baby Mike was projected by his pediatrician to grow to a height of 6’1’’, he only reached 5’6 as an adult. Any chance of fathering a child was destroyed.
Mike arrived home an emaciated and perpetually exhausted boy, sporting coke bottle glasses that made him look more like an old woman rather than a boy of 11. As he looked down the road of his life he wondered what was left to live for. Mike was absolutely convinced he would never experience the joys of love and marriage. Through it all Mike had not turned to Jesus. He says, “I didn’t know Jesus from Adam...It was all religion.” He knew God had saved him from physical death but he did not as yet know God personally. There was more pain and suffering to endure before he bowed the knee.
The next several years were filled with loneliness and hopelessness. Too ill to attend Middle School on a regular basis Mike spent most of his days watching soap operas. Deep despair initiated thoughts of suicide.
But God knew the pain that Michael was feeling, and He had plans for this hurting young man. Mike’s health suddenly took a dramatic turn-around and his body began to heal. He was able to attend High School on a regular basis. But there was more healing needed. Physical healing gives temporal happiness on earth, but spiritual healing is central to life eternal. And Mike had not turned to the God he knew had healed him physically. During the next several years, he turned to drug use, and filled his mind and heart with the lyrics of dark rock music. His soul continued to languish in darkness.
Then finally in Mikes own words, “On July 6, 1982, God’s wonderful light came crashing into my darkness.” The day before he found himself reluctantly accepting an invitation from some “Jesus Freak” acquaintance to attend a Full Gospel Businessman’s meeting. He heard the message of the Gospel and opened this heart to embrace God’s love and forgiveness. In doing so, Mike experienced the greatest restoration of all; he was finally reconciled to the God he knew had healed his body.
The changes in Mike’s life were swift and radical. On the way home from the meeting that night, Mike destroyed all the evil ungodly cassettes in his car. Ribbons of audiotape littered the car’s interior testifying to his new faith. When he arrived home, he immediately went to the “hiding place” in his room, grabbed his marijuana pipe, took it out into the night and cast it away forever, saying to the Lord “Jesus, I’m all yours!” No more did his mouth fill the air with ugliness and cursing, but with praises to his great and loving God!
Mike immediately immersed himself in the things of God, attending every bible study and prayer meeting offered. Shortly following his conversion he sensed God’s call on his life for ministry. Two weeks later Mike was on the streets witnessing to his new faith. Although physically Mike was not the man that God had fashioned originally, he was now a mighty warrior of the living God, wielding the sword of the spirit for Jesus and His Kingdom!
Over the next five years, Mike served as the sound man for a church in Mission Viejo where he received guidance and instruction and grew tremendously in the Lord. He attended Vanguard University where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical Studies. In 1985 Mike met Hannah, the girl of his dreams, and to his absolute amazement and joy at what God can do married her in 1988. They adopted Kaila and Shawna. Mike soon took a position as youth pastor at a church in Oceanside where he served for three more years and, finally, in October of 1989, joined the staff at Calvary Chapel of Oceanside. He was content.
But unbeknownst to Mike and his family there were still battles to be fought. During a routine blood test needed for Mike to acquire a life insurance policy, it was discovered that he had contracted Hepatitis C from one of his many transfusions. A new trial was upon him, but this time his beloved wife and daughters were in danger of losing their husband and father.
