On February 5, 2025, friends and family received a text from Mike's wife, Martha Tifft, that she had taken her husband Mike to the emergency room in Aurora, MN, because his week-long illness had worsened to the point that he was having severe trouble breathing. An ambulance ride to St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth, MN, and a few short hours later, Mike was sedated, on a ventilator, and fighting for his life. Within 24 hours, Martha was told that Mike was on every life-saving measure they could offer, and if he didn’t improve in the next 24 hours there would be nothing more they could do and he might not live. Martha called their family to the hospital, thinking this may be the last time they see Mike on this side of Heaven. The word went out to their friends to pray. Mike was on 100% oxygen, his kidneys had shut down so he was on constant dialysis, and, at that point, they weren’t sure what was causing the pneumonia. The outlook was grim.

Martha asked her friends and family to pray for Mike, that God would spare him and give him the strength to fight. Those friends and family reached out to their friends and family, and prayer began to happen… a lot of prayer… all over the world.

Within another 24 hours, Mike began to respond; he wasn’t getting better, but he also wasn’t getting worse. Slowly, over the next weeks, Mike fought, and we all prayed. Support for Mike and Martha poured in, offering prayers, meals, help at their home in Biwabik, and anything they needed. It was touch and go for a season. Mike kept developing clots in the dialysis machine, and one was found in his lung. Later, it was discovered that Mike was suffering both bacterial and fungal pneumonia and that the medication to fight the fungal part would keep his kidneys from doing their job until it was no longer necessary. But Mike kept improving, needing less and less oxygen to maintain his saturation levels, and the medical staff kept working with the machines to keep him going. We prayed, Mike fought, and little by little, he began to improve.

Fast forward to today. Mike is awake, off the ventilator, only needing intermittent dialysis, and off many of the medications. He is fairly lucid and beginning the journey back to his old self. He is the very definition of a miracle and an answer to prayer. The road ahead is a long one, one of hard work and financial hardship. While insurance will pay for much, it does not cover all, and the uncovered part will be significant. Martha has also needed to stay in a hotel near the hospital to be close to her husband during this time. We, their friends, have started this Give Send Go account to help with those costs. You have been so faithful in praying for Mike and Martha and the Tifft family. We ask that you donate any amount to help them meet their financial need so that Mike and Martha can focus on his recovery and get the best care possible. I know I speak for both Mike and Martha when I say, “Thank you for your prayers and support. Things would have been very different without them.”