Mothers are heroes in the eyes of their own children, and this mom of four from Michigan proved she is indeed one after saving her kids from a house fire.
Mikala Vish suffered severe second- and third-degree burns to 60 percent of her body after rescuing her four children, ages 4, 6, 12, and 9 months, from a fire that broke out in the family’s home at 1 in the morning on October 26.
According to Chelsea Area Fire Authority Capt. Scott Basar, Vish is receiving treatment for her injuries at Michigan Medicine’s burn unit in Ann Arbor.
“She is an absolute hero for how she saved all her children,” he said.
Firefighters were called to Vish’s home for a report of a structure fire. The Dexter Fire Department was the first to arrive at the scene and saw Vish getting a child out of the burning home before rushing back inside to rescue the others.
Only she and her six-year-old, Torin, were injured in the fire and are still being treated. The kid suffered bad burns to his hands and arms. Both mother and child will undergo skin graft surgeries.
Thankfully, Vish suffered no neurological and eye damage, but she could be in the hospital for eight months. Her family also lost everything in the fire, which remains under investigation.
Vish’s mother, Susan Sutton, said she expected no less from her daughter.
“She has always been a spitfire, she is extremely determined. It didn’t surprise me at all. As I understand, it was an inferno and she just braced herself for it until she found [her 6-year-old son],” she said.
“She is a woman of great faith and prayer and I think that along with her very spitfire personality is what’s getting her through and it gives me the courage to know this is going to work,” she added.
Lt. Derek Klink, a firefighter who responded to the house fire, said the single mom’s actions were “the most heroic thing” he’s ever seen.
“Sometimes, people call us heroes. And in this instance, in no way were we the hero. Mikala deserves all the credit,” he said.
Brynna Klink, the lieutenant’s wife, created a GoFundMe page for the family. She said this particular fire hit her husband harder because the children are all around their own kids’ ages.
“Please help to provide some relief to Mikala, and her four beautiful children, as she recovers from injuries she suffered in the fire,” wrote Klink on the fundraiser page.
“These donations will be used to help support the children, who are being taken care of long-term, by Mikala’s family. Mikala has a long stay in the hospital ahead of her, but the donations will also go towards helping her start over once she is released.”
As of November 19, the page has generated over $270,000 donations out of its $275,000 goal.
In a November 13 update on the fundraiser, Klink said that “Mikala and Torin have been showing incredible progress.” Their grafts are looking good.
Torin has been moved to a peds rehab unit and is undergoing multiple hours of physical therapy and occupational therapy every day.
Meanwhile, Vish has been extubated and can now communicate better. She has a long road ahead but is showing significant improvement and is even walking a bit.
Anyone who would like to send a card or well wishes to the family can send it to PO Box 6, Chelsea, MI, 48118.
We wish Mikala and Torin a speedy recovery. Please share this story to help spread the word about the family’s needs. You can learn more about this story in the video below.
Click here to donate to the GoFundMe.
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