“A lot of people don’t have kids to step up as their parents age” says Greg Michnick, who has the good fortune of having seven adult children, most of whom who live close to the family home. He considers himself a lucky guy.
Helen and Greg Michnick were married in 1958 and in 1972 moved into the Vicksburg area, where they began by renting a cottage on Indian Lake while their new home was being built just around the corner on 29th Street. Greg fondly remembers buying his property at $500 an acre. The deal was so good that he bought extra land which the family put to good use over the years.
1972 was also the year that Greg began working as an air traffic controller at the Kalamazoo airport. After passing his Ground Control Approach training with honors during a stint in the Air Force as a Ground Control Approach Specialist, Greg and Helen requested a transfer to New Zealand. But as life would have it, his training paved his way to a decade of service “in the tower” in Kalamazoo. Helen’s nursing career brought her to the ER at Bronson Vicksburg Hospital. Together they raised their family with room to host many outstanding 4-H Club opportunities. The land also provided space to raise pigs and start organic farming. Their family grew and became very active and engaged in all aspects of the community.
Greg was married to Helen for 58 years. Helen had pulmonary fibrosis which worsened as the years went by. After much family discussion, it was decided that it made sense for their youngest daughter Megan and her husband to move home to help care for her. Megan had been working as a successful senior manager in finance at Mondelēz International in Chicago for 18 years. Her company was more than happy to have her work online from Vicksburg. In addition, her husband, Hakan, wished to study engineering at Western Michigan University.
Sadly, Helen passed away on March 27 of 2017. Not long after that, Greg’s neuropathy progressed to the point where he could only walk with assistance. Megan and Hakan have remained in Vicksburg. Thankfully, Megan’s employer continues to allow her to continue work from home and Hakan is now employed as an engineer at a company in Richland.
As Greg’s needs have increased, Megan has become his primary caregiver while continuing to work full time. Greg’s other children: Michele, Margaret, Mary, Maureen, Greg (Junior), and Monica remain involved and offer to help when available. They are currently working with Brian Penny who is the senior services specialist at South County Community Services (SCCS). They also use Vicksburg Home Care to allow Megan time to take care of appointments and other family tasks.
Megan is especially grateful that during the summer, the Vicksburg Home Care staff come in on Fridays so she can get to the gym to work out and relax a bit. There are plans for the family to meet with Area Agency on Aging staff who come to SCCS on a regular basis. Ironically, Megan and Hakan’s living in the home complicates payment for additional services for Greg. The family has tackled its share of setbacks over the years and has been able to rise to each occasion. They are hoping that, with help from area senior advocates, they will be able to achieve the family’s goals for caring for their dad. This fact helps Greg to feel even more appreciative too.
