Michael Sven Popov

Michael Sven Popov

The son of Steven and Karen Popov and the brother of Nicholas Popov

Best friend of the Lilac Crown Parrot named Crackers

born on 4/6/1988

Early in the second year of his life he was diagnosed as being severely handicapped

His parents were told to find a medical facility for him because he would be mentally and physically incapable.

Wrong by a long shot.

He was later diagnosed to have cerebral palsy

CP was used as a catch-all diagnoses when they couldn't figure out the exact problem.

Later that year Jackie Roberts, his caretaker, noticed that Mikes stomach was distended

Michael was taken to Kaiser Lakeview and later sent to Children's hospital in Los Angeles

Just before he was 3 years he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (a cancer of the lymph system)

After years of fighting this disease, with the help of his oncologist Dr. Ruki, he won.

Michael still worked, fighting the CP, going to physical therapy and taking special classes.

During his education he attended many of the schools in the Newport-Mesa School district.

The main schools were Harbor View Elementary, Kaiser Elementary, Ensign Intermediate and Newport Harbor High School

The teachers throughout his educational career were exemplary

He loved them and his fellow students.

In sixth grade he met his lifelong friend Shane Cervantes

He continued to fight the effects of cerebral palsy,

During this time he had several operations, including operations on his feet in order to help him walk

He proved the diagnoses that he would be mentally incapable wrong.

His memory was amazing, He solved problems the rest of us couldn't,

If anything was lost he was the person to find it.

His Judgment was sound and he was good at analytical thinking.

He never thought of himself as handicapped - he just thought of himself as someone with some medical problems

He enjoyed many activities,

He belonged to a chess club

He played AYSO Soccer

He loved to shoot hoops

He played baseball

He enjoyed ice skating

He liked to bowl

He was involved in boy scouts

He tried his hand at art

He was proficient working with computers

He enjoyed playing computer games with his friends

He was a great photographer

He enjoyed movies, he even started studying Chinese because of its use in the movie Serenity

He has several collections

knives and swords

pez dispensers

sports cards

At the end of eighth grade he auditioned for and was selected to be the master of ceremonies of the Honor Awards

He was nervous but he did a great job

High school was a somewhat difficult adjustment but by the time he was a senior he really developed a lot and felt better about himself

thanks to his teachers and friends.

After high school

he went to golden west college part time, once again it took him a little while to adjust but then started succeeding there

During this time he started working on his writing

He started doing Yoga regularly

He developed an interest in gaming at games workshops

He also practiced Hisardut, an Israeli Martial Arts.

By this time he was successfully handling the family finances

On September 9, 2009 he went to the doctor because of a cough

The doctor took some tests and sent him to the hospital for reasons that had nothing to do with the cough

On September 13, 2009 with no prior symptoms he was diagnosed with 4th stage colon cancer.

This is almost unheard of at Mike's age of 22,

The oncologist told him that he had perhaps 2 years to live.

Mike and his family refused to believe that there was no hope, despite the doctors continually stating that there was none.

Mike fought the cancer through chemo, always believing in the future.

The Chemo treatments did not work and Mike decided to fight the disease anyway

He was still planning his future a week before he died.

He was planning to move to Seattle

Mike always believed that there was a future for him

He handled the pain with strength and courage.

Michael felt that his body betrayed him

The day before Thanksgiving, Wednesday 24, 2010 at 11:00 am Michael died.

He was fiercely independent, in almost every way possible

Every time he went to the doctors we could here them saying "That' Interesting"

Michael loved sports, he tried to play but always followed sports on television.