Photo courtesy of Amanda Svir Glenn Mitzner, a Balaton Fire Department and Ambulance Crew member for 46 years, stands next to a Balaton fire truck.

BALATON — On June 5, Glenn Mitzner suffered a massive stroke that impaired his ability to use the left side of his body. While he’s been knocked down, the veteran firefighter and ambulance crew member has vowed to get back to duty in the future.

“You’re never going to take the firefighter out of him,” fellow volunteer Teri Hively said.

Mitzner has been active on the Balaton Fire Department and Balaton Ambulance Crew for 46 years. Hively has served on both for 25 years. Three of her sons — Jared, Jordan and Jacob — are also firemen and ambulance crew members in Balaton.

“You definitely notice his absence,” Teri Hively said. “He’s very active and his heart has always been in it 100 percent. He’s determined he’s coming back. It gives him motivation to keep working on his rehab.”

Even as he recovers and goes through intensive therapy on a daily basis, Mitzner thinks about and is willing to offer advice to fellow coworkers.

“He loves to visit,” Glenn’s wife, Sharon Mitzner, said. “There have been some firemen who have visited and they can tell fire stories after fire stories.”

A recent visitor mentioned to Glenn that they might start looking into getting a new fire engine.

“Glenn said he could give him some advice,” Hively said. “He’s always in the know. He keeps up with everything — the rules, regulations and what’s coming up with legislation or whatever. And Glenn is always willing to share and to teach people what he knows.”

Along with serving as mayor of Balaton for a number of years, Mitzner has provided snow removal for more than 100 residents throughout the wintertime. He also owns and operates Glenn’s Service Center, a business that he’s worked at for 54 years.

“It’s been rough for him,” Sharon said. “He gets frustrated because he wants to be back turning wrenches and helping on the fire department.”

Before retiring, Sharon spent 36 years as an educator in Balaton — most of those years as a kindergarten teacher.

“Both of them are such giving people,” Brad Klukas said. “Glenn is always the first one to help for the fire department or ambulance and she’s always the first one to jump in and help for family functions. Since this happened, Sharon has been by Glenn’s side almost nonstop. She was a kindergarten teacher for everybody’s kids, so she’s a saint.”

When several Balaton community members started talking about ways they could pull together and do something for the Mitzner family, Klukas quickly offered his services. As the events manager at Ralco Nutrition, Klukas felt helping plan a benefit (Sunday, Sept. 10) would be right up his alley.

“Sharon’s my cousin and it’s kind of what I do for work,” he said. “But it’s definitely a team effort. Several people reached out, so we formed a committee. Everybody has been owning their part of it, too. There was a lot of dividing and conquering.”

The Mitzners have appreciated the support from their community and far beyond since Day 1.

“When I came home, I found him and called the Balaton Ambulance,” Sharon said. “They were amazing. They came in and they strongly suspected within a short time that he’d had a stroke. They transported him to Marshall and from there, North Memorial Air Care took him to the Twin Cities, to North Memorial.”

Due to the severity of the damage done on the right side of Glenn’s brain, the left side of his body is affected.

“Because of the swelling on the right side of his brain, they did a craniotomy,” Sharon said. “They cut out a part of his skull to give his brain room to swell. It was out for quite some time, but then they did surgery to put that back in. They had to make sure that healed alright. Then they also did another surgery to clean out the carotid artery — they basically clean it out. So he’s had three major surgeries so far.”

Glenn was in the intensive care unit (ICU) for about a week. After spending another week on the medical floor, he was moved to Seven North — the 7th floor at North Memorial — for rehab.

“He’s been doing a lot of therapy,” Sharon said. “He works hard, but it’s difficult with the damage that has been done. He’s getting stronger and his right side is very strong, but there’s no movement yet on the left side. They say they can feel the muscles contract, but we haven’t seen it.”

After about four weeks, Glenn was transferred to a transitional care unit, where he’s been for the last seven weeks.

“He’s been at Interlude in Plymouth for more therapy,” Sharon said. “Between occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy, he spends at least 3-½ hours a day doing that. It’s a little less on the weekend, but it’s a lot. And as long as he keeps making progress, he’ll keep at it.”

Sharon said she’s grateful to be nearby.

“My sister Barb and her family live in Eden Prairie,” she said. “They opened their home to me. It’s about a 20-30 minute drive, which isn’t too bad for the cities.”

Despite the severity of the stroke, Glenn is fortunate to be able to speak well.

“That area of his brain wasn’t affected, so his speech happens to be really good,” Sharon said. “And his cognitive function is there. He was just telling Eldon (Mitzner) how to fix something over the phone. He was also just talking to Jordy (Hively), asking what size fire hose they used recently. Glenn was critiquing from afar.”

Sharon said therapists are working on helping Glenn get his balance back.

“He can’t walk, but they’re trying to get him to stand,” she said. “They’re also trying to get him to improve his seated posture. He still needs a lot of support. He’s getting stronger, though. He’s starting to help with his own transfer from the bed to the wheelchair.”

Glenn’s medical crisis completely changed his life and that of his family. But their faith has helped them cope.

“It was tough to handle, but you need to remember that someone else is in control, so you have to go through it,” Glenn said. “I want to be back in the shop, removing snow and make sure there’s another great (antique) tractor show again for Fun Fest.”

Sharon added that Jordy Hively and others filled in and did a really good job of organizing the 2017 tractor show — an annual event that Glenn has organized for many years.

“They did a great job, but he’s determined and he wants to get back there for next year,” she said.

Glenn is also anxious to return to work. Mitzner was a teenager when he started working in 1963 for Martin Sawatzky at his implement repair business, called Balaton Implement Co. Inc.

“When Sawatzky lost the franchise for the John Deere part of it, Arden Johnson and Glenn bought the business out (in 1978) and named it J & M Implement,” Sharon said. “After Arden died, Glenn incorporated it into Glenn’s Service Center.”

Klukas said Glenn personalizes his service, whether it’s tractor repair or snow removal.

“He not only has 100 clients, he also knows when people go to work,” Klukas said. “So if you work at 4:30 in the morning, he’ll have the snow removal done by then. If you were a late riser, you’d be last on the list. He also knows how to really diagnose an issue. Most people seem to rely on computerized technology now. So he has a huge clientele from the region.”

The Mitzners said the support they’ve received is “unbelievable.” It’s what keeps them going, they said.

“We have a number of family and friends who say we’re in their thoughts and prayers and we know we are,” Sharon Mitzner said. “It’s not just an expression. The support has been fantastic.”

Mitzner expressed her gratitude for the quality care that her husband has received.

“From the ambulance to the air care to North Memorial and now Interlude, there’s been a lot of amazing care,” she said. “The therapists are great and there are a lot of nurses and nurse’s aides who are, too.”

Of course, family, including their three children (Joel, Jay and Amanda), seven grandchildren and in-laws, help to brighten the days.

“We continue to appreciate the support,” Amanda (Mitzner) Svir said. “The cards, visits and thoughts and prayers are amazing.”

Svir is currently a supervisor for North Memorial Air Care.

“We transport critically ill and injured patients,” she said. “My parents inspired me to go into healthcare and Dad inspired me to go into emergency services.”

Sharon said she is especially thankful her daughter can help decipher some of the doctors’ language.

“Amanda is a registered nurse, so she’s been involved since Day 1,” Sharon said. “The first month, she was here a lot. She knows the right questions to ask and it’s great to have her interpret what the doctors say.”

Support has also come from area churches.

“Pastor Tews from St. Peter’s in Balaton has been up here and our first quilt that was brought up here for us was from Sillerud,” Sharon said.

The unknown has been one of the most difficult parts for the Mitzner family.

“We don’t know what the timeline is or what the end results will be,” Sharon said. “Will we be able to live at home again? You just don’t know. And will it be weeks or months? You hope for more progress, but you don’t know.”

The benefit, which will assist with Glenn’s extensive medical and rehabilitation expenses, is expected to draw a lot of people to Balaton Bay Golf Course & Clubhouse on Sunday. A two-person best ball golf tournament ($50/team) is scheduled to take place between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. A pulled pork dinner with a free will donation begins at 11 a.m.

“We both said it sounds amazing,” Sharon said. “It takes so many people pulling together to organize something like this. It’s unbelievable.”

A silent auction is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“There are some really great items coming in, like Garth Brooks tickets, meat bundles, quilts, John Deere collectables and other collectables,” Klukas said. “People have been very generous with donations. It should be a nice event.”

Klukas added that a Go Fund Me page (www.gofundme.com/JohnDeereGlenn) has already raised nearly $3,000.

Bingo runs from noon-4 p.m., as does a “touch a truck” event, featuring firetrucks from around the region.

“A lot of people are willing to help,” Teri Hively said. “It’s not just from the Balaton department, but from area departments as well. There’s many in the area that had Glenn as an instructor when they became a firefighter. He’s well-known to a lot of people.”

There are also inflatables for kids. Wristbands are $5 each. A bean bag tournament will take place from 1-4 p.m.

“I’ve visited Glenn a few times and he has the willpower,” Klukas said. “He was also relatively fit before he had the stroke because he rode bike all the time. I think all of that is helping in his recovery.”