As details come out about the Parkland shooting, we now know more about how Survivor’s Mike Zahalsky stepped up to help anyone he could.
I’ve always hated the surname for Survivor Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers. It never made sense to me that Healers were separated from Heroes, as they often do miracle work on the body and mind in a heroic manner. There has been no demonstrably better case that the naming convention misses the bigger picture than with Mike Zahalsky in recent days, as he has done all he can to help his ailing Parkland, Florida community the best way he can.
People spoke to Mike this weekend, gathering his firsthand experience in response to the tragedy. While his family is all safe at the moment, when tragedy struck, Dr. Mike had no clue to the extent of what happened. Instinctively, he dropped all of his patients for the day and made his way to Broward Health North Hospital, asking, “How can I help?” Within minutes, he was aiding the operation of a young girl, saving her life.
Some of the personal details involving Mike Zahalsky’s experience make what happens on Survivor look like a walk in the park, as the unending chaos of a setting where everyone’s coming together and running on fumes puts things into perspective real quick. He had to have the tough conversations doctors have with families of ER patients, including to his friends; something that isn’t as common for a urologist.
The kindness and selflessness of the Survivor community extends beyond Mike Zahalsky. He is now for arranging some of the high school students to be bussed over to SeaWorld in Orlando alongside upcoming Survivor Ghost Island castaway Morgan Ricke, who works there as a Killer Whale Trainer. It’s a kind gesture to help ease the immediate pain and offer a distraction that can start the mending process.
Next: Survivor: Parkland, Florida’s Mike Zahalsky and family are safe
For all the sex euphemisms and jokes that Mike gets as a urologist, at the end of the day, he’s a hero, a healer and a hustler at heart. Thank you so much for what you continue to do for the ailing Parkland, FL community, Dr. Mike Zahalsky.