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A Wisconsin teenager is saving his mother’s life through organ donation after he was killed in a freak sawmill accident earlier this month, his family said.
Michael “Mikey” Schuls, 16, of Florence, died on July 1, two days after he was pinned between machinery at Florence Hardwoods, WBAY reported.
He had been trying to unjam a wood-stacking machine when the conveyor belt he was standing on moved and pinned him into the machinery, the Florence County Sheriff’s Office said.
Mikey was stuck for 17 minutes before being found by a co-worker, the statement read.
He was eventually transferred to a children’s hospital in Milwaukee, where he died two days later of “traumatic asphyxiation.”
“That’s caused by entanglement in a machine,” Florence County Coroner Jeff Rickaby told the Associated Press this week.
The four-sport athlete’s organs are being donated to at least seven other individuals — including his mother, Stephanie.
“Lucky enough his mom was the perfect match for his liver,” Mikey’s father, Jim, told WBAY this week.
“And seven or eight other families received life. He delivered the miracle we prayed for for seven other families, including his mother. That’s what’s keeping me going.”
It is not clear why Mikey’s mother needs a new liver, or when the operation will take place.
Jim, who appeared for the interview in a “#MIKEYSTRONG” T-shirt and bracelet, told the outlet that he was at Florence Hardware on the day of his son’s horrific accident.
“I work at the same company where none of us would ever put our children in that position if we knew,” he explained.
“They’re brokenhearted as well, as I am. I grew up in this community, I worked in this company for six years. They’ve done great things for me. I’m not faulting anybody.”
In an emotional Facebook post announcing Mikey’s death, Jim appeared to blame himself for not being there when the accident occurred.
“How do I ever forgive myself for not being there when you needed me most I’m so broken,” the grieving father wrote underneath a slideshow of highlights from Mikey’s life.
Almost two weeks later, Jim seemed more focused on lovingly remembering his son.
“I’m telling you if you could’ve met this young man his heart was so pure. Wouldn’t hurt nobody, didn’t do nothing wrong,” he told WBAY.
He was also touched by the small town’s effort to rally around the family in the wake of Mikey’s death.
One tribute sign in Florence is emblazoned with the teen’s favorite saying, “Life is too short — do it anyway,” in addition to other signs that read “Fly high, Mikey. You will never be forgotten.”
“All my boys are true sons of Florence, as am I,” Jim said.
“I can’t even put a word on it, he’s touched more people than I can ever imagine.”
At the time of his death, Mikey was a student at Florence High School, where he played football, basketball, baseball and soccer, according to his obituary.
Mikey was one of 11 siblings and stepsiblings spread between Wisconsin and Michigan, the write-up notes, and is remembered by the large family as the “absolute best son, brother, uncle, and friend.”
Mikey’s older brother, Kaden Schuls, has shared multiple moving tributes to the teen on Facebook in the weeks since the accident.
“This has been the longest 10 days of my life. I hope I don’t always feel like this,” Kaden, who welcomed his first child one week before Mikey’s death, wrote on Tuesday.
Despite initial concerns that Mikey was doing illegal work at the time of the accident, records indicate that his actions were warranted under state child labor laws, the outlet said.
The Florence County Sheriff’s Office closed its probe into the death, but a federal investigation is ongoing, Cpl. Jacob Metz told the Green Bay Press Gazette this week.
Jordan Davis, Florence Hardwoods’ office manager, told the outlet on Friday that the company was “absolutely” cooperating with the proceedings.
Mikey’s celebration of life is set for Saturday morning at the Jacobs-Lundholm Funeral Home in Florence.
As of Thursday afternoon, a GoFundMe for the teen’s family had more than doubled its $10,000 goal.
With Post wires
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