MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI – More than two dozen volunteers on Friday helped clean the yard of a Muskegon area veteran whose recovery from brain cancer left him disabled.
United Way of the Lakeshore organized the Sept. 10 Day of Caring project to help Andrew Maycroft with major yardwork at his Laketon Township home.
“I love that we do it for the vets. It’s an honor for us to be able to serve them, the people who made the sacrifices that they did,” said Keith Burkett, a volunteer team leader from Consumers Energy.
Maycroft joined the Army National Guard after graduating from high school and deployed to Kuwait in 2008. He was set to deploy again to Afghanistan four years later when he started experiencing severe headaches and swelling in his eye.
Doctors eventually learned the 22-year-old had tumors and lesions on his brain.
“A lot of my friends went to Afghanistan, and I ended up going to a hospital bed,” Maycroft said.
After four rounds of chemotherapy and 11 rounds of radiation, the cancer went into remission, but Maycroft, now 32, still suffers from seizures and epilepsy.
Maycroft and his wife Erica moved into the house in 2014, but their plans to fix it up became a “monumental task” for the family.
Chris Hall, who runs the Laketon Township building department, first met Maycroft regarding ordinance violations for his fence.
“Instead of going to court, we decided this would be a perfect opportunity for a community project,” Hall said.
Cleanup efforts include replacing the fence, clearing brush and cleaning up the yard for the Maycrofts and their three sons. Burkett said he hopes it provides a “safe place” for the family to play in the backyard.
“I never even asked for all this. They just dropped this on me, saying ‘we can do it,’’ said Maycroft. “I’m completely astounded.”
The 29th annual Day of Caring event, hosted by United Way of the Lakeshore, completed more than a dozen projects in Muskegon County on Friday.
Other projects included clearing debris from veterans’ gravesites, cleaning Mona View Cemetery, sprucing up downtown Muskegon Heights, packing dinners for Kids’ Food Basket and working to restore the natural habitat at Ryerson Creek.
“We get so much done. It’s just mind blowing,” said Hall, who’s been partnering with United Way of the Lakeshore on community projects since 2008.
Additional Day of Caring events are taking place in Oceana County on Saturday, Sept. 11 and Newaygo County on Friday, Sept. 17.
More on MLive:
West Michigan prepares to resettle 250 Afghan refugees, more coming in weeks ahead
Grand Rapids Army veteran completes 454-mile 9/11 memorial walk by reaching Pentagon
Corn maze created to pay tribute, ‘never forget’ victims of 9/11 terrorist attack
"caring" - Google News
September 11, 2021 at 12:53AM
https://ift.tt/3E8Nrus
Muskegon area veteran ‘completely astounded’ by Day of Caring help on yardwork - mlive.com
"caring" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2z0ngcp
https://ift.tt/3fgQ2Gv
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Muskegon area veteran ‘completely astounded’ by Day of Caring help on yardwork - mlive.com"
Post a Comment