‘Build Mick a House’
Area family tapes for ‘Extreme Makeover’By Audrey LaFave
POSTED: March 17, 2008
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Salmon, 53, owns Salmon’s Superior Taxidermy. He was paralyzed more than 20 years ago in a motorcycle accident. His niece, Carrie Bartel, says he still rides his Harley and enjoys life with his grandchildren just as much as someone with the use of both their legs.
“We all just kind of want to help him out because he’s always been such a huge help to the family,” said Bartel.
Cathy Winling, another niece of Salmon, said the family is putting the video together for the TV reality show to see if they can get help getting his house fixed.
“The house is at least 40 years old,” Winling said. “Forty years ago it had burned and they rebuilt it.”
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is an Emmy Award-winning series in which a family’s house, including all rooms, exterior and landscaping, is made over by a team of builders and designers in seven days while the family goes on vacation.
Winling said Salmon’s house is an old family home and he grew up there with his 11 siblings.
“My dad and his brothers were raised there and when Mickey had his accident he came back and bought the house,” she said. “I really think he came back here to get back to his roots and get some stability.”
Winling said the whole family has been involved in the process of applying, but she has been filling out the lengthy application and she and her sister Traci Corrigan have started filming various aspects of the home.
“The house is in bad shape,” Winling said. “My sister and I went through it last week and we were stunned.”
Winling said years ago Salmon was a drywaller, but after his accident was unable to continue that line of work. That’s when he became a taxidermist. “His shop is on the ground floor (of the home) and the house is about a half a level higher, which he has a lift to get him up to. The lift is the best part of his house,” said Winling.
Winling said her uncle has been through a lot of trauma in his life besides his motorcycle accident, including suffering a broken neck since that time. Currently, Salmon is in the hospital being treated for an infection.
“I think it’s been getting to be a little too much for him,” said Winling. “He’s in the hospital now — he had a backsore and he couldn’t feel it (due to his paralysis) until it poisoned his body so now they had to go in and surgically clean it out and he even had to have a portion of his tailbone removed.”
Winling said Salmon’s home has been falling into disrepair.
“The foundation and the roof are deteriorating. The home is in bad shape,” she said. “And he’s basically to the point where taking care of the house is too much for him. My uncle had to move downstate for work and my dad isn’t that healthy either, so there’s really no one to help (Mickey) put the house back in order.”
Winling said the attempt to get Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to fix Salmon’s house is a community and family effort. She also said it could take several months before ABC makes a decision.
“What we tried to do was just get a lot of family and friends to stand in the driveway to show that we have community support for him so ABC will realize it would be a good thing,” Winling said. “As far as the house lasting we might have to do something before this ever goes through, but it’s worth a try.”
Bartel said Salmon is known for being involved with game and wildlife organizations as well as contributing to local individuals in need, especially those in wheelchairs. Winling said he’s been a Big Brother for several years and helps out with many local benefits.
“Mickey is the type of guy who will give you the shirt off his back,” said Winling. “All of us look up to him and we just love him.”
Winling said anyone who knows Salmon knows what kind of a great man he is.
“Mickey is just a good guy. If I were (in need) I could turn to him and he would be there for me, and that’s the way the whole family feels. We all know that he would be there in a second,” Winling said. “We all want to see this happen for him because he just really deserves it.”
