My brother Mike Carr has spent his entire life choosing life — again and again — through circumstances that would have defeated most people. He was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at 12 years old, endured years on dialysis, received a double transplant, and when his pancreas later failed, he went through a second pancreas transplant. Each time life offered him an exit, Mike fought his way back to life.

After receiving his kidney and pancreas, he and his wife Katrina opened their hearts even wider and adopted four children from Kazakhstan — two of them born with significant limb differences. Together, they shepherded those kids through more than 16 surgeries each, helping them gain the function and independence they deserved. Their home has always been a place of compassion, resilience, and unwavering belief in the potential of every child, no matter their challenges.

And now Mike is facing his biggest battle yet. After everything he has survived, it doesn’t feel fair. But this is where we are — and this is why I’m reaching out.

Our family is asking for support as Mike faces an overwhelming battle with Stage 3 cancer, multiple hospitalizations, and complications made far more dangerous because he is a transplant recipient.

2025 has been an incredibly difficult year for our family.

Mike was first diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in February. For most people, this type of cancer is treatable, but transplant recipients face a very different and much more dangerous reality.

After his first procedure, Mike healed beautifully, and we believed we were in the clear. But just a few months later, the cancer unexpectedly returned as Stage 3. The plastic surgeon who had been following him did not catch the recurrence early enough, so we had to switch medical teams abruptly. Thankfully, the care he has received in Cleveland has been outstanding.

In September, everything escalated quickly. Mike spent a week in the ICU and underwent a devastating surgery that removed most of his upper lip along with 26 lymph nodes. Surgeons also created a flap from skin grafts and harvested veins for the reconstructive work he will eventually need. The photo in my profile is from a shoot we did just before all of this, a moment we treasure now more than ever.

After several weeks of recovery, Mike began a six-week course of daily radiation on October 21. Head and neck radiation is extremely difficult, and he experienced severe pain, blistering, and increasing difficulty eating.

Just as he began the final week of radiation, another crisis struck. Mike developed extensive blood clots in his leg and a pulmonary embolism, sending us back to the hospital on 11/22. He has also had recurring fevers and complications with balancing his transplant medications.

Because the radiation caused severe mucositis and persistent thrush, Mike is unable to eat. A feeding tube was placed on Friday to keep him nourished. Unfortunately, he spiked another fever last night, so we do not yet know when he will be stable enough to go home or restart radiation. Taking such a long break from treatment is not ideal, but coordinating between oncology and his transplant team makes everything more complex.

We are incredibly grateful for our children. Nik has been flying in from Texas for a week at a time to help with everything. The girls have been running errands, driving back and forth, and managing things at home so that I can stay at the hospital full-time. Mike’s sister also came for almost two weeks, which was an enormous help. She and Morganne are designing products using Mike’s artwork to help us cover expenses, and those will be added to her website soon.

Our workplaces have been compassionate and supportive, but it has still been extremely difficult. I do not qualify for FMLA yet and have had to take a leave of absence. Mike does qualify for FMLA, but neither of us working has placed an enormous financial strain on our family. His coworkers have arranged meals for when we return home, which has been an incredible blessing.

The road ahead is long. First, Mike needs to stabilize enough to leave the hospital. Next, we need to determine whether and how he can safely complete his radiation. After that, he will face another six to eight weeks of recovery. If the cancer does not return, he will begin a four-stage reconstruction process, which will hopefully restore function and appearance.

Your support will help lift an enormous financial burden from Mike so he can recover from this ordeal and get the plastic surgery to rebuild his face and not worry about how is going to cover his missed income.

Whether you give financially, share this page, or simply pray for us, we are deeply grateful.

Thank you for standing with us in this difficult season.