mikey_wheels newspaper article
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8/14/2019 Mikey_Wheels Newspaper Article
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EDITORIAL
Its a story of cyberspace, adebilitating genetic disease and anepic cross-country road trip. But mostimportantly its a call to live life forlove and to love how you live yourlife.
Im on my way out, I feelmyself getting sicker, Mikey says inthe opening video on his Web site,mikeywheels.com. I dont knowwhat else to do other than live it up to
the max and do my very best in tryingto squeeze every last drop and live tothe fullest.
Mikey Oliveri, a 24-year-oldfrom River Edge and the man behindmikeywheels.com, was born with aform of muscular dystrophy thatforced him into a wheelchair at theage of 18.
Despite the constant strugglewith his health that began for him at 6when he became aware of his condi-
tion, Mikey has always tried to expe-rience life and considers himselflucky and blessed to be in his posi-tion.
Ive been given a privilege to
see things from this point of view. Itsan opportunity to appreciate life, toappreciate the now and to not takeanything for granted, Mikey says.
Thats the spirit that led to hisidea to start his Web site, an onlineblog or Web journal that has chroni-cled his cross-country trip that startedaround this past Thanksgiving.
After spending the majority ofhis life living with his parents, Mikeyexpressed the desire to see the country
on his own with friends, meet peopleand, as he said, experience the beauti-ful randomness of life. His ultimategoal is to arrive in California wherethe warm weather offers a stark con-
trast from the New Jersey winter thatfurther aggravates his condition.
Before he left, Mikey recorded avideo he posted online that explainsthe second purpose of his trip: to sharehis zest for living with anyone who isinterested.
I dont want somebody to haveto wait to get an illness to realize thebeauty of life, he said. Im a full-time liver and I love it and Im goingto spread that and show people whatits like from my wheels, and maybethey can be as happy as I am. I hopeso. Because if everybody could be ashappy as I canwell, thered be a lotof happy people running around, orrolling around.
The story is compelling enoughthat Mikey has been invited to speakin college classrooms along his jour-ney. He was also the subject of a shortfilm by Washington Post EmmyAward-winning video producer PierreKattar. In the video Mikey tells of hisdepression and suicidal thoughts thathe struggled with while trying to copewith his condition as a young man.He describes a medical struggle thatsincluded 27 epidurals, three com-pressed discs in his back and time
spent on every single legal narcoticfor pain. He talks about how at 24, hehas the body of a 90-year-old man.
But in the face of extreme ill-ness, Mikeys story is one that is ooz-
ing with life and happiness. AWeb site, Mikeys on film hfun. One clip shows him doughnuts in his van in Kanprocess that usually involvempty parking lot and a car spiwildly in the snow. More showas he meets new people in Verwheels through sunny Miammakes his way to Los Angeles
While not everyone can pand launch themselves into adom adventure like Mikeyeveryone can use Mikey as an ple to appreciate every day andize the beauty of life.
Currently Mikeys in Cnia, but his high-tech handaccessible van malfunctionedhe made it to the west coast. Hing situation in California is utain. And, yet, one still gets theing he loves every second ofHis sense of humor and confipermeate his writings. A messwrote from Los Angeles on Dsums it up.
Im in limbo, but for who are interested, more obeautiful experience to comeIm sure, my various challen
love challenges), and random love life). I cant lose, I can onout of my chair, which always for a good laugh.
Mikey Wheels:life is not a spectator sportBY THOMAS CLANCEY
OF PASCACK PRESS
A trip to the pyramids in Egypt.
Mikey on another adventure, skydiving.