Michael “Mikey” Gustafson
Michael was an affectionate tough guy with a great sense of humor. His toughness was evident in his athletic endeavors but was most apparent in how he dealt with his cancer treatments. After major brain surgery, his radiation and chemotherapy lasted throughout his fifth-grade year. He chose to do his hospital chemo on the weekends so he wouldn’t have to miss school. Many school days he would eat breakfast, then throw up … he would eat a second breakfast and go to school. He only missed eight days of school in fifth grade. Throughout his living with cancer he just wanted to be like any other kid.
Michael was also affectionate. Part of what made him affectionate was the experience of being a twin, starting with seven months in the womb curled up next to Bridget (they were premies). He really liked holding hands. Sometimes just sitting at the table talking, he would be holding your hand or touching your arm.
The very best thing about his sense of humor was his laugh. If something struck him as funny, usually his brother Ian the instigator, Michael’s hand would come up to his face and he would start laughing with reckless abandon. There were many times at the dinner table when dinner would come to an abrupt halt while the family sat around laughing at Michael laughing.
To quote Michael’s favorite fictional hero, Albus Dumbledore, “To an organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.” While Michael has gone before us to his next great adventure, he left us with so many wonderful memories and provided a stunning example of what is possible in this life.