Steve “Mongo” McMichael & Misty McMichael & President Bush via Misty’s Instagram McMichael.Misty FOLLOW

 Part 4
Misty McMichael – Heart of Gold

Caring for an ALS patient takes a lot of funds, people, services, doctors, medicines and equipment. And Misty McMichael has learned that some of the things she needed to take care of her husband Steve Mongo McMichael were not on her radar until she needed them. Massages became very important for Steve’s care. Misty has a masseuse that comes to their home 4 times a week to give Steve a massage. Medicare pays for 3 therapeutic massages a week. Misty pays for an extra 1 a week because Steve needs it. For the pain and atrophy. Misty tries to but rarely gets a massage for herself, and only when she can afford it, because her back is all jacked up from leaning over Steve’s bed doing “tube stuff,” communicating, cleaning, and caressing.

Beds are also important for an ALS patient. Hospital beds are terrible because they don’t move. And ALS patients need to be moved all the time to avoid bed sores and moisture sores. With the unmovable beds you’ll wear out your caregivers even before the patient. Misty didn’t remember what hospital she saw them in, but she made note of a bed made by a company called, Linet. Misty called the Linet bed distributor, and even the company that made them. When she told the company that she wanted one of the Linet beds for her husband, they told her that those beds were “only for commercial use.” But Misty had resources and she got lucky because George, Brian and Virginia McClaskey, the current owners of the Chicago Bears, along with Anthony Tomaska, pulled strings and bought Steve one of those Linet beds. Now there are more and more people able to get these beds into their homes because there have been other people in the U.S. who had pulled stings as well. Those same people are now passing on the beds that they no longer need for their own ALS patient, and they have begun selling them on E-Bay. A new or a barely used Linet Bed is worth it and Misty says she will donate Steve’s bed one day.

Misty McMichael: A Beacon of Love and ALS Awareness

Last on Misty’s advice list is that she thinks that whether or not an ALS patient wants a sense of privacy or feels uncomfortable with people seeing him or her in their different stages of ALS, it’s important for them to receive visitors. What visitors and how many visitors would be up to the caretaker. The coolest thing about Steve is the fact that he’s made so many friends. His teammates from the Superbowl 1985 Bears have all come to visit him. They still do. Steve’s WWF mates come over and throw a few jokes at him. And they still come. And Misty is so thankful that even the current Chicago Bears and some of the new WWF stars have stopped by to tell Steve how much his athletic legacy has inspired them. Olin Kreutz was in her home. Brian and Casey Urlacher was there. And Peanut Tillman. Even Virginia Marion Halas McCaskey, the principal owner of the Chicago Bears came by. Rick Flair, Steve’s wresting partner is a regular. Misty says that Rick is really broken up about Steve’s condition. Sometimes he leaves bawling. But never in front of Steve.

via Misty’s Instagram McMichael.Misty FOLLOW

Last on Misty’s advice list is that she thinks that whether or not an ALS patient wants a sense of privacy or feels uncomfortable with people seeing him or her in their different stages of ALS, it’s important for them to receive visitors. What visitors and how many visitors would be up to the caretaker. The coolest thing about Steve is the fact that he’s made so many friends. His teammates from the Superbowl 1985 Bears have all come to visit him. They still do. Steve’s WWF mates come over and throw a few jokes at him. And they still come. And Misty is so thankful that even the current Chicago Bears and some of the new WWF stars have stopped by to tell Steve how much his athletic legacy has inspired them. Olin Kreutz was in her home. Brian and Casey Urlacher was there. And Peanut Tillman. Even Virginia Marion Halas McCaskey, the principal owner of the Chicago Bears came by. Rick Flair, Steve’s wresting partner is a regular. Misty says that Rick is really broken up about Steve’s condition. Sometimes he leaves bawling. But never in front of Steve.

The NFL and ALS: A Battle Beyond the Field

Misty says people came around much more when Steve was healthier and more able to communicate. But now Misty has to keep the traffic to a minimum. It’s too much for Steve. Even though it used to be uplifting and mentally good for him to take visitors. Misty feels bad for the visitors because it shows them that if something like this can happen to the strongest man in the world, it could happen to anyone, you know? It’s a startling bitter taste of mortality. And yet Misty doesn’t think it’s such a bad thing for people to see Steve like this, if only to be thankful for what we all have.

Lately, if a scheduled visitor hadn’t seen Steve for a long time, and sometimes even if they have, they might be in for shock. Misty has refused a few friends to see Steve. Recently there were two dancer girlfriends of Misty’s who came over to see Steve. And as Misty prepared them, the girls remembered the good old days when they used to sit around at one of their houses partying and Steve would whip out and put on a G-string and mimic one of their male stripper friend’s dance moves for them. Steve was always so comfortable in his body, and he was so funny which was his sexy. And then the girls began to they cry when they reminisced. Well, Misty would have none of that “crying shit,” as she put it. So she thanked the girls for coming, but then sent them on their way without seeing Steve at all.

The NFL and ALS: A Battle Beyond the Field

If a visitor is brave enough to come and visit now, Misty will first show Steve to them on a monitor that she has set up in the living room so she could keep an eye on him whenever she was cooking or cleaning the house. Misty shows them so they won’t be so shocked or break down and cry when they see him. “So I prepare them,” she says. “And If they pass the test, I say, ‘Okay! Let’s go in!’”

I went to Misty’s home to do a last formal interview for this story, and I did her hair in her dining room. I wanted to get a sense of what her life was like. And not from just from what she told me during her hair appointments as well as those few once-a-month free evenings she spent with me purely as friends at Gibson’s or the Chicago Four Seasons Hotel Bar. I knew that Misty would talk more if I was doing her hair. Like most of my hair clients, Misty always opened up during her hair appointments. All my clients know that, as their hair guy, anything they said would be private. Although Misty and I agreed that I would be able to tell her story here.

A Lesson in Navigating: ALS Increased Awareness

As I did her hair, my two Chihuahuas, Finnegan and Valentina, played with her Chihuahua, Blue. Every once in a while, Misty’s daughter, Macy, would come into the kitchen for a snack or to ask her mom a question. And Misty always picked up the phone if a medical professional or a friend of Steve’s called for an update. Many times Steve’s nurse, nurse Michelle, would pop in and chat with Misty. Sometimes about Steve. Sometimes about food, which they both shared a passion for. They discussed who wanted the leftovers of sausage and cabbage in the fridge and how Michelle’s husband, Richard, was making smothered ribs which she would bring over the next day for Misty to eat and share with her daughter and Crystal or Wanda, the shift-change night shift nurses. One of the things Misty is thankful in her heart for is her in-home care nurses. She went through a few of them, but Michelle, Wanda and Crystal, and now Cynthia & Phenice, are all keepers and she couldn’t fathom not seeing them all every day in the future.

Misty sat facing the living room where the dogs played, and I was behind her, strategically placing foils and color on her head. We both had a clear view of the monitor that showed that Steve was in his Linet bed. I couldn’t tell if he was asleep or awake. His eyes were partially closed. Wanda occasionally futzed around Steve, checking his trach, and doing what else she needed to do.

Misty did not ask me to meet Steve, or if I even wanted to. I did not ask to meet Steve, although, it would have been an honor to have met him. I’m a Chicagoan, and I am well aware of Mongo McMichael, the legend. I only wish I could have met him when he didn’t have ALS. But I saw him on the monitor. And just like Misty said, when I left their home, I had a feeling of being thankful that I can move my limbs, breath and communicate. I also felt thankful that Steve had Misty in his life.

If you feel that you want to, you can visit and Follow Misty’s Instagram @mcmichael.misty. You’ll be able to see Steve and Misty in happier times. And you’ll be able to see just some of the brave and strong friends of Steve who were able to visit him in the past few months, and years. You’ll also see Steve as I saw him on the monitor. I hope it makes you feel thankful and not too sad.

Although he may wake up with less mobility than the day before, just by the progression of the disease, sleep is very important because it helps Steve process the foods, liquids, and drugs and the waste he needs to pass. Sleep repairs his body, even if the body is breaking down in other ways. Most importantly, sleep is when dreaming comes in. Nowadays Misty knows that sleep is most important to Steve because a few days ago Steve told her that his dream life was so much better than his real waking life. In his dreams he was healthy. And it was in his dreams that he got to relive the life he had before ALS. He said his dream life was totally “bitch’n” and it was now the richest part of living. The only thing Misty could think to say back to him after he told her that was that he was just so lucky that he had the life he had. It was as if he had lived ten lives rolled into one, she said, and all before he was 65. Steve agreed that was true. And he said he was thankful for that. But Misty detected that he may be getting weary of living and that frightened her. And it was during that last interview with Misty that I noticed a change in her. It was then that I realized that Misty no longer thought she could help keep him alive for a few more years. She knew the end was near.

A Lesson in Navigating: ALS Increased Awareness

Misty McMichael has been waking up, every day, for over two and half years, thinking how to make Steve as comfortable as she could. She has done her best to make sure he feels the love from herself, and his family, as well as fans and friends. And she worked hard to educate herself medically so that she could properly care for her husband and not accidentally kill him or induce a coma or drug him so much that he hallucinated instead of dreams. Misty knows it will be hard to remember what it was like not to be his caretaker when he is gone. She told me she doesn’t know who or what she will do or become when she is not acting as his wife. But she wants him to stay a while longer for her and her daughter. She hopes that he can stay alive so he can dream. “You can’t dream when you’re dead,” Misty told me. “So that’s something to live for, isn’t it?”

Since Misty’s angels scooped her up and helped to put her back together, she tells me that she feels a hundred percent more financially secure. (She’s not.) She says the medical bills are still stacking up, and they may take the rest of her life to pay them. But that’s okay, she says.

“I will have food on my table and a roof over our heads for every minute Steve breaths and sleeps and dreams,” said Misty. “We’ve always hung onto our dreams.”

Just recently, the WWF produced a telethon in Schaumburg, Illinois for Steve. Ric Flair just produce his 2nd telethon with the WWF for Steve. There was also a Super Bowl fundraiser.

Johnny and Michael Namoff are professional event producers, and they recently produced the “Mongo Mash Bash.” It was a fundraiser which collected money from fans of Steve. But since Misty was able to pay her bills in the past few months, she was able to take some of that money and give it to two ladies who also have ALS who had more dire and immediate needs than she and Steve. One recipient was Tina, 39. Tina was about ready to lose her house which was a ranch style that didn’t have ramps. And there was also Ashely, 27. She didn’t have a way to get to her doctor’s appointments. Misty and Steve were in a position to help so they did. One of Misty’s friends who works the Les Turner Foundation is Cara Galligar, and she is the woman who connected Misty with the recipients.

Misty knows that when Steve is gone much of her time will be spent focusing on helping others with ALS which was always Steve’s way. Mongo Mash Bash will, hopefully, continue to be a yearly event and that will be specifically for others affected by ALS. Misty and her pals are working on their 501c3 non-profit status now.

Wanda Osborne is an author and Wanda’s husband played football with Steve. Wanda wrote a book inspired by Steve “Mongo” McMichael.  The book is titled, The Golden Life of Little Steve – The Bully Challenge. And part of this book’s sales gives to Les Turner Foundation and the ALS foundation. Both the ALS Foundation and the Less Turner Foundation are the organizations that now work with Misty to help people and families affected by ALS. These organization are the sources for the information that one needs if you or your family or friends are affected by ALS

In Misty’s own words: “My husband did great big things in his life. He achieved so much in the sports and media world, and he helped raise more money for charity than he ever did for himself in his not-so-normal life and careers. So now the least I can do is do what I need to do, for him as well as other’s affected by ALS. Steve was and is deserving and he’s inspired me. Sometimes I’m still afraid of not being strong enough to be able to take care of him, let alone help others. But I don’t think I remember seeing him ever afraid and that makes me want to be better. Right now I still have my husband, my daughter, my dog, and my crying room, so I will never be too weary. I will ask for help and I will always try to find my inner strength to never throw in the towel. I am strong and I’m healthy and that is a privilege and I have the honor to use my gifts for good and for Steve. He took care of me and his fans for the over 20 blessed years that I’ve been with him. I can take care of him, his fans, and his legacy for the next 20 years. He showed me how to do it and how be fierce. Our friends, our families, and his fans have been what love means to us and the reason we do what we

I just want people to know that they’re not alone. I just want to tell them not to go into a corner to try and figure out how to fix things themselves. That corner will turn out to be a hole and it will be hard emotionally to pull yourself out of that hole. Also: You aint going to get everything you need online. You need to talk, in-person, to people who can help you. You cannot clear your mind and relax to get ready to handle all the things that you have to handle to take care of someone with ALS without some kind of family and friend base. You need doctors. You need nurses. When you get help you can begin to be effective and then you will be able to help yourself and others. Helping others gives you strength. And nothing gives you more courage than to see someone start to stand up when they’ve fallen themselves. Just look at Steve. That’s what the WWF and the NFL and the Chicago Bears and his friends, family and friends have been doing for him all his life. He’s done that for all of them before he was sick. Steve has helped raise more money for charities than he ever did for his own bank account. You get back what you put out. Only more. I learned from the best and I’m humbled, inspired and hopeful and I have the honor of being of physical mind and body to put to use what I have learned.”

Advocating for ALS Awareness and Navigating ALS Caregiving

Misty wishes me to write that she has nothing but thankfulness in her heart and would love to thank Dan Hampton who recently came over as well as Gary Fencik, Wanda and Jim Osborne, Jim McMahaon, Keith Sanborn, Richard Dent, Tom Thayer, Otis Willson, Tyrone Keys, Kevin Butler. They have gone over and beyond to cheer Misty up and be with Steve. Shaun Gayle flew in from Europe to support Misty at a fundraiser. Big thanks also go to ‘Silky D’ Dennis Mckinnon, and Jay Hilgenberg. Special thanks go to Mike and Diana Ditka for hooking Misty up with The Gridiron Foundation which also connected Misty to other NFL wives. Special thanks go out to Jimbo Covert and NuWay, the company who did the retrofitting for Misty and Steve’s house.

Misty’s wish came true when she wished for a man that would take care of her as well as a husband whom she could take care of. Only wishes and prayers rarely happen as simply as you originally envisioned them. This wish was bigger. So much bigger. Her life is not a dream but a mission. He mission is to help others affected by ALS and to connect them with the Lou Gehrig’s Foundation and The ALS Foundation.

And Misty’s other mission and passion is getting Steve McMichael inaugurated into the NFL Hall of Fame. If anyone is interested in helping Steve McMichael get into the NFL Hall of Fame, you can follow Misty on Instagram @mcmichael.misty where she is constantly posting where to join voices. The next round pick will be August of 2023. Misty plans to do fund raising parties all year of 2023.

If you have read this article to this point, I hope you have felt love for Steve. And for Misty. And if you know anyone who is suffering from ALS, or any family or friend who is suffering, just love them. And help them. Because it is important. Pass on this article to anyone who might need it. Share the love.

There is so much about Misty that I couldn’t write because it would not have been in keeping. And when I first started writing this article, I was thinking that Misty should write an autobiography. Her life leading up to meeting Steve as well as her life with him was nothing short of fantastical, shocking, as well as inspirational. How a woman who grew up the way she had to become who she has become was amazing. She is “just a wife” and she is fierce and focused as keeps company with other angels. She cusses a lot. And I think she needs to learn how to meditate and properly use email and the computer. I hope she finds the time. Maybe on one of her free days, in the future.

End of Part 4 of 4. 

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