3 Jan
– Hello and Happy New Year,
Thought I would give another update on Kevo. The new year brought special meaning to our family as Kev was coming home. He now is resting at home under the care of his wonderful wife and looked in on by all of the great people that love him and have missed him so much. Kev is in no way brand new yet as he is still weak from the horrible test that he has been through. He still has two drains coming from his side and the vacuum for the cut down the middle of his tummy. He still has weeks of drugs to take for the infections but the great news is they have worked and are working to get them out of his body all the way.They say the cut for the surgery will take a few more weeks to close up and then time to heal from there.
My sister and Kev got to have there Christmas and I know for her it was the best one ever as she recieved the present sent from heaven. I do know that all of you wonderful people that prayed for Kev or just wished him well that it worked and it continues to work. I will never be able to say thank you enough for helping to stop our family from loosing Kev. He was so close at times to leaving us but your prayer and wishes kept him here. Kevo fought like a Sparten for his life and I am so proud to be a part of the love and friendship that has surrounded him during his fight. All of you that helped with your prayer and hope should feel so proud as well as we have saved a life. We have helped one of gods gifts to stay here and continue to give his love and support to everyone he touches because that is who he is.
This will be a great year for our family and for all of you that believe that it is not what you have in your life but who you have in your life, it is not about how hard life will fight you but how you fight back. If you have the love from friendship and the love of family there is not a battle you cant win.This year will be so hard for many with the way the World is today, with jobs becoming less and less and money harder to make. We all need to remember that this is just one of the fights that life brings on to us and how we fight back is what is important. If you have your health and you have your friends and with the love of family you can take on anything.
I believe in my family and my family of friends and with that all of the fights that life will bring on to me are no more than bumps in the road that I will get over and be better for it.Kev has proved this as well, he will get past this and be better for it. Remember when you feel like the world is pushing you down look into your heart and push back !!
I thank you all for being there for my family and I truly love you so much for it.
– Mike
24 Dec
– Hello and Merry Christmas to everyone, I thought I would give you all an up-date on Kevo. He is getting better a little bit each day and stronger each day the same.He is now is a room upstairs from the TCU unit and can get more rest there. His temp and heart rate have been holding for 4 days now and seem to be going in the right direction to get him back to normal. He is now taking walks 3 and 4 times a day and eating solid food. The best news is that the infection seems to be on the run out of his body ! and if it keeps going he will be off the IV’s maybe in a couple weeks. He has a bunch of swelling from holding water but they seem to think that will go away once he gets stable with the diet and walking more and more each day. We are so thankful for all that have been wishing and praying for Kev, we believe that it has made him get better. He is not out of the woods yet but like I told him today ” the trees are getting smaller and smaller and we can see the way out of the forest” we can see the light at the end of the tunnel and know its not another train coming our way. Kevo has fought like a Hero and I am sure he will keep fighting as this fight has a long way to go yet. Please have a happy and Merry Christmas and when you sit and pray before you eat please add this wonderful man to your prayers. My family thanks you very much for that! – Mike Avila
17 Dec
– Kev has been in a TCU unit at the hospital since yesterday at about 4am. He has had the other surgury and that part went well but while the surgury was going along the infection got into Kev’s blood stream and now things are worse. I dont know why this is happening to such a wonderful man but it is and it is just not right! ……We now have an infection doctor working with the others to try to stop the infection from getting worse. Kev’s heart is having some troubles and we are hoping that getting the infection slowed down that the heart will do the same.
Each day we keep hoping for a break of some kind but it seems as though this test wants to get worse before it gets better. I dont understand why times like these happen and why they happen to good people and not the millions of bad people out there that deserve to have this come down on them. All I know is if there is someone out there that plans this stuff out or is the ruler of it all then know this……….We who stand together will not ever let you take this wonderful man from us. All we have to fight with is our love and hope that together we can help him. Please keep your love and hope going strong he needs it more than ever.
Kev is walking along that fine line between heaven and earth and he needs to have all that know and love him to keep pulling on him this way. I thank you all for your support it means so much to my family……I will update you all again in a day or two……..thanks again …Mike
15 Dec
I write this today with so much fear and saddness, Kev is going into surgury again in a few min. His infection has gotten worse through the night and fever spiked so high that they packed him with ice.The leak in the colon has grown and now it can only be fixed by going in again.It is my understanding that they will leave the open cut for the surgury open for the next 4 to 5 days to fight off any other infection.
I have to say this was one of our biggest fears for Kev to go into surgury again. He is so weak and the fight within is strong but I dont think he can fight this on his own. I took all these to Kev yesterday and I know it made his day and for sure made him feel like his is not on his own. My sister and I are fighting with him as hard as possible but we really could use your continued love and support for Kev.
I ask of you to please add Kev in your thoughts and prayers as much as possible. I understand that there are so many in need of hope and prayers and by adding Kev it will ask a lot from you but as do others he really needs it over these next few days.To everyone that has called and writen to Kev I thank you so much from the bottom of my heart and please continue as he needs us more than ever.
I will keep printing these out to read to him so just know your words are reaching him and mean so much to Kev and my sister as well. Thanks so much again and I will keep you up to date as much as possible………….Mike
13 Dec 2008
Hello to all,
I thought I would give you an update on Kevo. I was with him last night in the hospital and things were not going well nor have they been over the last few days. Kev’s colon has been leaking and filling his body with infection.Last night they put a drain in his side to pull the absess and the infection that keeps coming there out.He is fighting hard every day but these are very hard times right now.
I can’t thank everyone enough for all the support that you are and have been giving this wonderful man.Your support helps all of us in my family and we are all so thankful. My sister is incredible and fights for him as you all know she would, but she is having a hard time as well so all your well wishes give her strength as well.
I will print these out tomorrow and read them to Kev at the hospital and I know they will give him a lift.We are hoping that the infection will go away in the next few days and give the leak a chance to heal.If the leak can heal by itself then having to do the surgury again won’t have to happen.I will try to keep you all updated as we go along. If you want to give Kev a word of hope my sister asked that no calls be made to his room or visits to the hospital so our gift from God can rest and heal.If you would like please write to Kev here and I will read them to him or call their house and leave a message and Punky will let him hear them.
Once again thank you all so much for your support to my family it means so much to me…………..Mike
3 Dec 2008 – See comments section at the bottom of page for updates on Kevo’s condition.
22 Nov 2008 – Mike Avila writes …Dear family of racers, I write this to you today to seek your loving prayers and support for one of Gods true Angels. Many of you that have been near my boat over the last 7 years know Kevin.
Most of us refer to him as Kevo,he is the guy that if you met him your life would have a shinning star in it forever.Those of you that eat at my yearly BBQ at the US Open would know him as the wonderful BBQ man with my huge little brother Rob Kinslow.
Many overseas skiers know him and love him dearly because he is just one of those kind of people.He leads us in Team Prayer before every race and truly pray’s for the safety of all of us. He is my sisters true love and one of the greatest friends a person could ever dream of.
A couple days ago I received the call that no person ever wants to get,it was a call from my broken hearted sister telling me that Kevo has Cancer. Over the last few days we have learned that it is not going to be an easy battle as none of them are.
Kevo is a young and very strong guy both in life and in his faith with god, but he will need lots of love and support from his family and friends to make it through this horrible time .
I am with such a heavy heart for both Kevo and my sister that I am seeking you my family of racers to please keep Kevo in your thoughts and prayers if you believe in god and if you don’t its ok to please just wish him well in your heart. It all helps the healing process.
We as a family of racers have plenty to pray for with Carl Johnson,Mike Bemis, Don Brice and many others as well, but if you could find it your heart to add this wonderful man that I love so much to your thoughts I would be so thankful.
Mike Avila
