6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at Chef Luis

• 20% of your drinks and/or dinner bill will be donated!

Can’t join us? Please consider giving at this GoFundMe site: www.gofundme.com/cin5qw

***

We do believe in miracles. On March 7, 2014 Michael Pedicini, Jr., a local executive chef, suffered an aortic dissection and went into multisystem organ failure. He was given a 5% chance of surviving. Due to complications from sepsis, he slipped into a coma and he lost all fingers and both of his feet. He spent three months in intensive care and many did not think he would survive, but miraculously he did.

Before all of this, Mike was an executive chef. He was the guy who would knock himself out all week in a hot kitchen, only to jump in front of the grill or shuck the clams at a friend’s party to make sure everyone enjoyed themselves. Before all of this, Mike was an active and involved parent. A former gymnast and general daredevil, Mike was not one to sit on the sidelines. Mike enjoyed his life to the fullest and was the quintessential “Crazy, Fun Uncle/Super Dad”; racing the kids to the craziest amusement park rides, daring them to ride the scariest water slides, and showing them the right way to do flips off the diving board or bomb down the sledding hill. To say mobility was a big part of Mike’s life would be a huge understatement.

Against all odds, he survived the aortic dissection and resultant sepsis, but woke to the challenge of having no fingers or feet. He is now fighting for basic mobility and independence; to be an active participant in his life once again. While we don’t know how much of that former life Mike will recapture, he has persevered to overcome so many challenges in such a short time and has done so with a great attitude and a new appreciation for life. He understands the road ahead is filled with challenges, but he fights everyday to be his best and be the involved husband to his wife, Jane, and involved and active father to his son, Jacob. So far, Mike is up to the challenge and, with the help and support of his team(therapists, doctors, family and friends) he is healing and growing stronger everyday.

While we don’t know what the future holds for Mike, we do know the financial burden facing him and his family will be substantial due to making their house accessible, ongoing physical, and occupational therapy, prosthetics, and immense medical bills. Mike will have to relearn how to do everything we take for granted. He is fighting to exceed all expectations. He is truly a miracle. We want him to be able to go as far as his body and his will can take him and not to be limited by financial constraints.

We have created this website to help his family provide Michael with the best possible care on his long road to recovery and we invite you to join Michael as he travels on his P.A.T.H.S.

• Perserverance
• Attitude
• Teamwork
• Healing
• Strength

Please continue to email, share and post the link to this site so that others can continue to show their support and continue to pray for his recovery.