TAMPA, Fla. — At 20 years old, Michael Hoerig was achieving his dreams and helping others reach theirs too.
"He worked out daily, multiple times a day, and he had a clean diet," Gina Hoerig described her son. "His goal was to become Mr. Olympia and eventually just mentor the next generation of youth to be better."
He has won multiple bodybuilding awards. His parent's home is decorated with his trophies, medals, and ribbons. He started his bodybuilding journey at 15 years old. Michael's mom said her son had to convince her to buy him a gym membership so that he could reach his goals. The single mom said she was hesitant about such a financial commitment. But her son's ambition had her convinced.
"He's just encouraged anybody from his 3-year-old nephew who wants to be 'strong like Michael' to my 75-year-old mother, asking how she's doing and how he can help her," Gina Hoerig said.
Michael's life changed when he was driving back from the movies. At 12:05 a.m. on Oct. 22, the driver's side of the car was hit by another driver. He was taken to the hospital, where doctors worked tirelessly to keep him alive.
"They didn't expect him to live but a few hours," Gina Hoerig said. "But Michael was strong and his heart was big."
What Michael's mom did in the following hours was not only fulfilling of Michael's wishes but giving life and hope to so many others.
All of Michael's viable organs were donated. His mother kept him on life support longer, to better the chances of donation.
"If we could give Michael the opportunity to heal a little bit [so] that he could afford a gift to so many others, that's what Michael's desire was," Gina Hoerig said.
Gina Hoerig has a coworker, Anthony Peek, who has been on dialysis and waiting on a kidney donor for two years.
"I had a history of diabetes and high blood pressure," Peek said." And it had been a progression since 2006. That ultimately worsened my kidney, I started various stages of kidney disease, now it's end-stage renal disease and ultimately had to go on dialysis treatment for the last two years."
In the blur of grief and shock, it was Peek Michael's mom thought of.
"Anthony came to my mind almost immediately." Gina Hoerig said. She called Peek just hours after the accident.
"She said to me, 'I'm calling you because Michael was an organ donor and we want to give you the gift of life.' I, in that moment, at a football game, I broke down in tears," Peek said.
When it comes to donating a kidney, certain criteria need to be met.
"Donation – it doesn't always align," Peek explained.
But in this case, everything aligned.
The donor and recipient need to have the same blood group. Six types of antigens are tested for compatibility too. It's not required to have perfectly compatible antigens, but the more that match, the easier it is for your body to accept the new organ. Michael and Peek match five out of the six antigens and had the same blood group.
His doctor described the odds as winning the lottery.
"All in the matter of a couple of days, my life was just...saved," Peek said.
Gina Hoerig and Peek reunited for the first time since his transplant surgery at Michael's funeral. The two carefully hugged, being mindful of Peek's tender abdomen. Gina Hoerig put her hand on Peek's scar, and through tears and sniffles, was reminded that a piece of her son will stay close.
"I just wanted to close my eye and embrace Michael was there and that he was close to me and I was thankful he was doing well," she said.
Anthony Peek wasn't the only person who received a piece of Michael. His other kidney went to a recipient in Tampa, his liver went to a recipient in Atlanta, his heart was donated to a 16-year-old boy in Florida, his corneas will help restore sight to 12 people, and his skin, tissue, and ligaments will help up to 70 others.
"Michael's intent was to be the best he could be," his mom said. "To be strong mentally and physically for everyone he loved and for himself. So the one thing I'd want people to learn from Micahel: learn to be strong like Michael, learn to be compassionate and loving, and just give."
Michael Hoerig did just that. He gave it his all while he was alive. And he continues to give after his death.
Michael's family has created a foundation in his honor. The goal is to help provide the youth with the ability to get a gym membership and cover costs for athletics.
"If it wasn't for me paying for Michael to get involved with Lacrosse, he wouldn't have met his core group of friends that encouraged him to get good grades and be a great athlete," Gina Hoerig said. "It was the start of his journey, which ultimately ended with Michael being the mentor to that same group of boys and countless others."
To learn more about the foundation, or to donate, click here. You can also email stronglikemichael@gmail.com for more details.
Malique Rankin is a general assignment reporter with 10 Tampa Bay. You can email her story ideas at mrankin@10tampabay.com and follow her Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.