Homeless Man with Over $70,000 in Med Bills Saves 2 Lives and Dies a Hero

[Mojeoux]

HOMELESS MAN DIES A HERO

Thursday night, a man was hit and killed in the street in Guerneville named Mark Mueller and he died a hero. This story is no exaggeration, there were numerous eye witnesses and the accounts of the 2 people he saved.

The lives he saved are Barbara and "Fisherman" Mike who are also homeless transients. I don't know their last names. That they were street people doesn't make what he did any less heroic or any less newsworthy, bless his heart.

Because of his heart attacks, Mark had to stop working and he had no insurance and he had over 70 thousand dollar$ in Medical Bills. He couldn't afford his heart medications and he drank. The booze was bad for his body and his heart, but if he went off of alcohol outside of a hospital setting, his heart would've seized up and stopped.

My family and I have known Mark for over 30 years. He was a Master Landscaper and he could cut view corridors in a jumble of trees like magic. No trees killed and a gorgeous view.

He never told us about how deep in debt he was. He wasn't ever a whiner and ironically, he used to kind of look down on street people. When he became on of them, he became known as the nicest, most caring guy in the homeless community. These guys used to always stop me and tell me how great a person my "brother" Mark was.

Now he is like a legend to them.


Right now, the only story in our local paper is,

"transient dies in cross walk."

We have called and e-mailed the editors with the whole story, and hopefully, after the weekend, it will be in print.


Really, how many people do regular civilian-type folks know that have died saving lives?

Thanks DU, the truth is stranger than fiction!

MJ

[Duer 157099]

1. I read about this yesterday. So sad.

I'm sorry you lost a friend. Keep us posted if you find out more info. How did he save 2 others? What happened?

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100326/ARTICLES/100329644/-1/archive?Title=Guerneville-transient-hit-by-car-mourned-by-homeless-community

[Mojeoux]

4. The van was speeding, the 2 people were rushing and not looking and

Mark pushed them out of the way. His neck was broken but his beautiful face was at peace.
Thanks so much for caring.

[upi402]

6. Thanks

I understand better now. I'll hold a thought for this guy. I was doing that out of the blue today for some reason, kinda funny moment.

[Mojeoux]

16. K R n/t

[Mojeoux]

18. Her's a photo of Mark Mueller in his Prime, He was a Man's Man and the Women who

loved him, loved him like crazy! RIP Brother

[madinmaryland]

2. Did I miss something. How did he save the other two homeless people?

Thanks!

[Mojeoux]

5. He pushed them out of the way, it all happened in nanno-secs

I'm sorry if my story is confusing. I'm a little overwhelmed, I guess.

[Webster Green]

3. Very sad.

Not sure who he was, but I've no doubt seen him, as I live in Guerneville.

I hadn't even heard about this. Thank you for posting it. :cry:

[Mojeoux]

15. Hi Neighbor

So there is a memorial tomorrow at 1 pm at the Guerneville Park n Ride.
The Community Church runs a "Street Church." The Rev. Pamela said that Mark used to be part of her Street Church flock.
I bet if you come, you will recognize his face.

[Brickbat]

7. I'm so sorry you've lost him, and I'm so glad you shared the story with us. You all are in my

thoughts tonight.

[EFerrari]

8. Welcome to DU, MJ, and I'm sorry for your loss.

[Mojeoux]

22. Thanks Ferrari

Mark was raised in San Rafael, Ca and he loved the Giants! I love the Giants too and still the Tigers

Everyone loved Mark, his honesty was disarming. His eyes just smiled and communicated , understanding, humor, irony.
When I would try to help when he was homeless in the end, his eyes would show more sorrow to me that I thought he could be saved.

Go Giants

[EFerrari]

24. We had a friend who died outside about a stone's throw from City Hall.

He had just gotten a gig at the SF Bay Guardian.

We Close Our Eyes, A Poet Dies
Thu Sep 7 2000 We Close Our Eyes, A Poet Dies
By Terry Messman

Trent Hayward died nearly within spitting distance of the gleaming, gold-bedecked dome of San Francisco City Hall. On the evening of Friday, June 2, he laid his head to rest on a ragged patch of earth one too many times. He never arose from his final sleep. We close our eyes, a poet diesÉ. It was a lousy place for a great writer to die, a shabby, vacant lot on the corner of Larkin and McAllister that had become a last-ditch sleeping quarters for those who couldn't pay their way into even the worst slum hotel. Trent Hayward, an outspoken and prophetic writer who tried to right the wrongs of this rotten, corrupt system, slept on this street corner for months, a place where his dreams were invaded by the roar and toxic exhaust of passing traffic, his inner peace assaulted by the mind-bending chaos of street life.

The ultimate mockery is that he died in full view of the golden dome of City Hall, where San Francisco officials, in their ice-cold arrogance, invested hundreds of millions of tax dollars to build a decadent replica of the opulent Palace of Versailles, presumably so all the unsheltered, unfed, and, in too many instances, unliving bodies of homeless people sprawled on the unforgiving ground all around could be comforted by this multimillion-dollar monument to Mayor Willie Brown's ego.

Every night when he bedded down, every morning when he arose, Trent could see where the city had blown all its shelter money, its drug detox money, its mental health money - instead of wasting it on the destitute likes of him. On June 13, about 100 of Trent's friends gathered at the street corner where he slept, and dreamed, and died. We held a memorial service organized by Lisa Gray-Garcia of Poor News Network and Connie Lynch of the General Assistance Advocacy Project. As I offered flowers and a tribute to Trent, I wanted to say, "Trent still lives in our hearts and is resurrected in our struggle for justice."

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2000/09/07/17562.php

I was able to find his daughter back east. In memorium

[Mojeoux]

25. Oh God Bless All those in Danger

thank you for your info about your friend Trent. We expected to hear that my friend Mark just didn't wake up someday. His heart was not strong anymore.

It's such an astonishment that somehow he was given this moment in time to push these to people out of the way, save their lives and exit his existence.

A lot of us feel it was a blessing that he went this way, maybe it just makes us feel better.

[ashling]

9. Thank you for this story

I am going to send this post to my daughter in Tennessee. I have written about her here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=148x3159

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7943441

She wrote a piece about Rod and sent it in to NPR's This American Life, but nothing. She is a pretty good writer and I have encouraged her to write about Rod, and the general (2d link) and others who are so amazing who have ended up homeless. I have thought about it myself, but I am not able to get around and do research (I am blind in one eye and don't drive anymore).

I am sure that your story will be be an inspiration to her.

[Mojeoux]

17. Thank You so Much Ashling

Mark has always been such a wild gallant gentleman. This is a picture of Mark and Robin when he was in his prime...

[Dogmudgeon]

10. Send it to Keith

[email protected]

--d!

[Mojeoux]

11. wow, I did. Thank you so much. n/t

[Dogmudgeon]

12. My pleasure

I worked in medicine for more than 15 years.

I also had a pre-existing condition.

During that time, I was insured for a grand total of 22 months. My debts were in the same neighborhood.

In 2003, my health crashed, I nearly died, I lost my ability to work, and got on Medicaid and disability. FINALLY I am able to get appropriate treatment. But I have sustained a significant amount of damage along the way. I was lucky, though -- I have a wonderful and supportive family.

No one should have to live on the streets and then die like Mr. Mueller did. I hope this becomes a national story.

--d!

[Mojeoux]

14. All These Addicted People Need Real Detox Health Care

How many wonderful human beings are being wasted on the streets every day?
Some people can check in and out of these fancy rehabs, but I bet that the majority of hopeless alcoholics are poor people.

We knew his heart was bad and I was expecting one of his homeless friends to come and say that he just didn't wake up one day.

Everyone who knew him is stunned, and heartbroken but we know that he knows he went out with honor.

Thanks Again

[Liberal_in_LA]

13. great story but sad

[Tsiyu]

19. His very last choice in life

was made instinctively: to care for others more than for himself.



His suffering was unecessary and unfathomable in this age and in this place.

Still, his final act revealed his concern for the suffering of others.



In his last moment on earth - and we all get one someday - he made "human" seem like a good thing;

kinda hard to do in this time of rampant corruption, greed and rage.



Thank you for sharing some of Mark's story, I hope it gets the coverage it deserves.

And I am so sorry for your loss.

:hug:

[Mojeoux]

20. Oh How Beautiful! Thank You Tiysu!

Did you check out his pic in thread above? I didn't have it when I first posted.

[Tsiyu]

21. yes I did

A beautiful person there. :)

Thank you for remembering and a :kick: for the Sunday crowd.

I am sorry for your grieving and welcome to DU. :hug:

[KittyWampus]

23. what a story and I hope it does get printed!

[Mojeoux]

26. I do too. I sent Mark's pic to Countdown too.

RIP Brother

Thank you Kitty Wampus

[shireen]

27. words fail ...

:hug: