Rare Disease Strikes Mich. Man, Friends Raising Money For Bills

GRANDVILLE, MI – A several weeks-long bout with the flu has turned into something much more awful for Michael Mavis. After the Grandville, Michigan man began suffering strange paralysis symptoms to a point where he could no longer raise his arm above his head, he was admitted to the hospital.

Mavis, a fitness coach at Granville Fit Body Boot Camp, was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare disorder where a person's immune system attacks the nerves, according to a GoFundMe campaign page set up by Matt Wilber, the owner of Fit Body Boot Camp. Recovery from the disease could take months.

"As you can imagine several weeks to several months of medical expenses will be extremely costly," Wilber wrote. Mavis' wife, Valerie, "will also need to help assist Michael in his recovery and we want to help them only worry about getting better. Not the financial burden."

Wilber set up the GoFundMe page on Sunday with a target fundraising goal of $30,000. By Wednesday morning, more than $28,000 had been raised. Wilber's company has committed to paying Mavis' full-time salary while he recovers. The company also is giving 50 cents for ever dollar raised, up $10,000, in donations made to the GoFundMe campaign.

"Michael is a loving husband and father of two young boys and we desperately want to do whatever we can to help his entire family through this," Wilber wrote. "It would be a huge burden lifted off his shoulders if we can all come together and help him through this challenging time."

On the GoFundMe page, Wilber said that the campaign was arranged without Mavis' knowledge, "because he would never ask for this and is probably mad at me doing this." Wilber did not immediately return a phone message left Wednesday morning from Patch seeking further comment.

"Michael has had a huge impact on so many peoples lives," Wilber wrote. "Let's wrap our arms around Michael in his time of need. Family on 3!"

Image via GoFundMe. Go Fund Me is a Patch promotional partner.