How an Honest Builder Defied Death and Built Trust

Summary

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Living Your Legacy – Episode Summary

Podcast: Living Your Legacy
Host: Rudy Mawer (guest hosted by Jay Slangan)
Guest: Mike Hanneke, Founder of Pitt Foundation Repair
Episode: How an Honest Builder Defied Death and Built Trust
Date: August 7, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode features an inspiring and candid conversation with Mike Hanneke, the dedicated founder of Pitt Foundation Repair in Pittsburgh, Kansas. The discussion moves from deep technical knowledge about home foundations to powerful personal stories, including Mike’s miraculous recovery from brain death. Through stories of honesty, integrity, and community service, Mike exemplifies what it means to build both physical and metaphorical legacies.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Foundation Business – Real Challenges & Honest Solutions

• Regional Foundation Issues:

  • Old mining areas (like Southeast Kansas and its surrounding four states) have poor, shifting soils with high clay content, causing new and old homes to shift and crack ([03:05]-[03:42]).
  • Foundation problems can develop in homes as young as two years old, not just older construction ([03:42]).

• How Issues Manifest:

  • Signs include cracks, slanted floors, sticky doors—the “trifecta” of foundation problems ([08:15]).
  • Most issues are detected using laser levels, offering precise elevation readings ([06:42]-[07:12]).

• Honest Business Practices:

  • Mike’s company is committed to transparency: honest assessments, fair prices, and no upselling ([01:12], [10:00]).
  • Breaks the stereotype that all foundation repairs cost tens of thousands; many jobs are only a few thousand dollars ([10:34]).

• Industry Ethics:

  • Mike calls out rampant overselling and unethical behavior among contractors and parallels consumer mistrust with car mechanics ([09:47]-[10:00], [13:37]).

Notable Quote

"We come in, we give an honest assessment of what's going on with your home, how we're going to fix it, and most importantly, the cost, which is not what most people think."
— Mike Hanneke ([01:12])

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2. Building Trust and Community Reputation

• Reputation Over Profits:

  • Mike’s business model is built on word of mouth and community trust, not maximizing profits ([13:37]-[17:23]).
  • He recounts an example where competitors bid $64k and $58k for a project, while his honest assessment came in at $12k, raising eyebrows for being “too cheap”—he stands firm: “that’s all it needs” ([13:55]-[15:18]).

• The Value of Integrity:

  • Mike never feels the need to hide from customers in his community because of his honest work ([16:13]-[17:10]).

Notable Quotes

"If I have to do a good job for you, because a lot of them are elderly and I don’t want to see you at Walmart and you throw a can of peas at me or something."
— Mike Hanneke ([16:23])

"Trying to hide from somebody is not a good practice nor something you... I don't want to do it."
— Mike Hanneke ([17:16])

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3. Miracle Stories – Defying Death (Twice)

First Miracle: Walking Again After Years of Disability

• Mike lost the ability to walk for nearly 3 years, visiting numerous specialists who failed to diagnose him ([18:16]-[19:10]).
• A local neurologist suggested a Baclofen pump, surgically implanted to manage muscle spasticity ([19:10]-[20:20]).
• Miraculously, 24 hours after the procedure, he regained use of his legs and was up dancing in rehab:

  "It was like I pushed the walker aside and I went and just walked ... It was one of the most joyful days of my life."
  — Mike Hanneke ([21:36])

Second Miracle: Coming Back from Brain Death

• On a trip to Colorado Springs, Mike’s health crashed; he was pronounced brain dead and kept alive by machines for two days ([22:32]-[23:12], [24:43]-[25:11]).

• Doctors advised his wife to call friends and prepare for the worst. Then, an “elderly nurse” entered the ICU room, asked twice if they wanted him to wake up, and (according to family) performed a “360-degree titty twister” to rouse him ([26:12]-[27:54]).

• Mike awoke, recognized his family, and shocked doctors—hospital staff insisted they had no nurse matching the description, leading Mike and his wife to believe it was an angelic intervention:

  “The doctors just said, it's a miracle. There's no other way to explain it.”
  — Mike Hanneke ([28:48]-[29:04])

  "Never underestimate the power of a titty twister."
  — Jay Slangan & Mike Hanneke ([29:21])

• No lingering side effects despite two days without a heartbeat or brain activity ([29:04]).

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4. Life, Family, and the Purpose of Work

• Mike emphasizes his family (five kids, ten grandkids) as his central inspiration and what excites him most about the future ([29:36]-[29:50]).
• His drive to start a business was to help homeowners who “don’t know what they don’t know” ([29:58], [30:27]).
• Operates in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma—contact via pitfoundationrepair.com ([30:40]-[31:06]).

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Memorable Moments & Quotes by Timestamps

• Mike on Miracles:
  "You literally died." – Jay ([00:00]),
  "Yeah. There was no heartbeat, there was no brain." – Mike ([00:01])

• On Honest Business:
  “I have enough work where I don't have to make up things...and I wouldn't anyway.” – Mike ([10:00])

• On Competing with Industry Scammers:
  "There’s companies that'll oversell." – Mike ([15:19])
  "Do people in the industry get mad at you? ... Oh, yeah." – ([15:30]-[15:34])

• On Community Reputation:
  "If I have to do a good job for you, because a lot of them are elderly and I, I don't want to see you at Walmart and you throw a can of peas at me or something." – Mike ([16:23])

• On the Near-Death Angel Encounter:
  "We don’t have an elderly nurse on this floor. The oldest person is 40." – ICU Docs ([27:52])
  “That was my angel.” – Mike ([28:02])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:00] – Mike recounts his death and revival experience
• [03:05] – Foundation trouble in the four-state region
• [08:15] – “Trifecta” of foundation issues for homeowners
• [10:00] – Mike explains his honest business approach
• [13:55] – Undercutting overpriced competitors
• [18:16] – First “miracle”: Regaining the use of his legs
• [22:32] – Second “miracle”: The ICU and the elderly nurse
• [27:52] – Hospital confirms no elderly nurse exists
• [29:36] – Mike talks about family and personal motivation
• [30:40] – Contact and business info

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Final Thoughts

Mike Hanneke’s story is a testament to perseverance, integrity, and the extraordinary. Whether he’s rebuilding homes or coming back from the brink of death (twice), Mike’s commitment to honesty and community serves as an inspiring reminder of the legacies we can build—not just with our hands, but with our choices. As host Jay puts it, never underestimate the power of a titty twister, nor the value of a builder who’d never hide from his neighbors.

Contact Mike Hanneke:

• Website: pitfoundationrepair.com
• Serving Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma

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Summary by: Living Your Legacy Podcast Summaries

Transcript

[A]

You literally died.

[B]

Yeah. There was no heartbeat, there was no brain.

[A]

For how long?

[B]

For two days. This elderly nurse came in and asked my wife, do you want him to wake up? And my wife, irritated, said, yes, we want him to wake up. I'm awake. My wife goes to get the ICU doctors and they come in and what happened? And so my wife proceeded to tell them about the elderly nurse that came in. And I woke up and they said, we don't have an elderly nurse on this floor. The doctors just said, it's a miracle. There's no other way to explain it. And I knew at that point nothing could stop me. Mike Hanneka is a dedicated, community minded

[A]

and solutions driven construction executive and the

[B]

founder of Pitt Foundation Repair and Constructimet llc. Leveraging his expertise, he helps property owners safeguard their investments through high quality structural solutions, building a foundation of operational excellence

[A]

and lasting peace of mind.

[B]

We come in, we give an honest assessment of what's going on with your home, how we're going to fix it, and most importantly, the cost, which is not what most people think. It spans the globe like a super high cold Internet Elvis Preston.

[A]

Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone.

[B]

It's not over until I win the Living your Legacy podcast. For those who live to leave a legacy that's extraordinary. The impossible has been. Oh, that is sensational. Jordan, open Chicago with the lead. You said Paul is the fastest man on the planet. You can live your dream.

[A]

Hey, welcome back, everyone to another episode of Living youg Legacy podcast. I'm your host again, Jay Slangan. And we're here in the quarterfinals of the World Cup. Right. I've been kind of bringing you and all the clients that are having podcasts through the Miami and the downtown studios during the World Cup. But yeah, we got a special, special, special guest today that shouldn't even be here. And you'll find out all about that as we get to know him. But yeah. Introduce yourself, what's your name, where are you from, and what's your business?

[B]

I am Mike Hanneke. I have Pitt Foundation Repair in Pittsburgh, Kansas.

[A]

Yeah, Pittsburgh, Kansas. But you also operate in four states, right?

[B]

Yeah, we're in the four state region of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas.

[A]

All right, so you guys do foundations, right? So what's, what's, what's the biggest issue with people's foundations? Why, why do they contact you?

[B]

Because in the area that we're servicing, it's a old mining area.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And it's. The soils are terrible. That lot of clay, that swells and shrinks and, and just moves structures.

[A]

All right.

[B]

All the time.

[A]

So they, they build a house, they build a foundation. Right. These big cement basements, Right? Is that how they build them out there? Yeah, yeah. So they. And then after. Is it usually older houses? 10 years or it just changes. It could be three years.

[B]

I've worked on two year old houses all the way to 125 year old.

[A]

Wow. So the temperature shifts and the soil just changes and it can make the house go from perfectly level to having a slant.

[B]

Correct.

[A]

Leaning Tower of Pisa.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

Yeah. All right. So actually that's, that's kind of the issue here with Miami. I mean, right now we're at South Beach. I hear the Porsche tower is kind of stinking, you know, maybe a few inches a year or two inches a year or something like that. Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, like, I guess really, really deep. There's, there's a foundation. But yeah, I mean, come on, we're on, we're on this small island of sand and, you know.

[B]

Yeah, you might have to go quite a ways to find it.

[A]

There's also San Francisco. Right. A famous tower over there and it's becoming the Leaning Tower of Pisa, right?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Have you heard anything about that?

[B]

No. I did see something on the Internet this morning of a, of a building that's kind of given on one side.

[A]

San Francisco. Right.

[B]

Is that the same?

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a major issue.

[B]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. They evacuated the building.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. So what's the, what's the biggest problem you saw when you walked into a house? And it's like you, you open the door, are people all of a sudden, diagonal, you know, like, what's the biggest issue?

[B]

You see, it's usually slight. And we set up a laser and check the floor to see what. Because sometimes the, the floor can bridge.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And the foundation's the only thing that's fallen. So what we essentially have to do is bring the foundation back up to its original position and. But other times they're not so lucky.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, the whole.

[A]

What's that mean? They're not so lucky with just raising

[B]

up the building, like the floor of the home and the rim joist, the windows are all coming down with the foundation.

[A]

Gotcha. Gotcha. So there's already been damage and it's not just, hey, we'll just lift it up and you're all good. Yeah, it's, it's, oh, you're experiencing issues with the windows, with the floor. And because you didn't call us in time. And it's been maybe, you know, you let it kind of lean for several years, and it's. It's just a lot. It's like the gateway into more issues for the house.

[B]

Correct.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But generally, when we lift the house, you know, sheetrock clack cracks, we can. We can close them. We can get the windows working. Right. Get doors working back to normal.

[A]

Okay. Okay. So.

[B]

But, you know, there's some cosmetic issues that.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Issues that they're gonna have to deal with.

[A]

So you. Are you guys working a lot of lasers now? Do you guys still use the old school level or.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, but mainly we use a laser.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

That way we can. You know, it's hard to cover the complete floor with just.

[A]

Just a level. Yeah, yeah. So now you. You. You point the laser and you get 10 readings in a. Yeah. In a few shots.

[B]

Right, Right. Yeah. We can set it up where. Good elevation, and then we can measure the drop, you know, wherever we want to.

[A]

Gotcha. Gotcha. So is it, like, usually just a few inches or.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's never really been more than three, four inches.

[A]

Okay. And is this something. Because you said, okay, well, it's bad soil, and then the house shifts, and then they fix it, but it's the same soil. So is this something that they should be checking every couple of years or.

[B]

Well, they just need to monitor if they see a crack. They need to monitor it and make sure, you know, it's not just a movement because structures move in different weather conditions and seasons.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But main thing is, is should it. The cracks open up very much, it's a good time to.

[A]

To give it a check.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. So it couldn't just be like, yeah, weather. Extreme weather changes. There could be a few things that cause the cracks.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Right. So but if you got a crack and you roll a marble and the marble's rolling, too, it might be a typical. Yeah, yeah. You were talking about, like, there's a trifecta, Right. So the trifecta is, you got a crack, you got a slanted floor. And then I think the rhyme was sticking. Door, a stick and door. Right. So. All right. That people. You got a home, you got the trifecta. Right. You know, give a. Give a foundation guy a ring. Right.

[B]

And an honest one at that, and

[A]

an honest one like that. So, yeah, you're. You're talking about what was really nice is, you know, your answer for what it means to be one of America's best builders right now, everyone can relate to. They got a Car problem. You know, you go to the mechanic and what, you're like, man, this slimy dude, you know, why is, you know, I come in for a tire rotation, and then he says, I need A, B, C and D. Or, you know, I come in to change my oil, and he says, oh, I saw when I opened up that. That hood, you know, problem with this, this and that. And it's just like, oh, man, I know I'm getting fleece right now. I got to call my Uncle Eddie and my brother, you know, everyone that knows something with something to see to double check this dude if I'm getting fleeced or not.

[B]

Right, right.

[A]

So you kind of related that to

[B]

what you do, correct?

[A]

Yeah. Kind of expand on that.

[B]

Yeah. Well, there's slime and not what you

[A]

do in terms of you're the slime.

[B]

Right, Right.

[A]

But what you do in terms of you're not the slime ball. You're giving honest, honest, honest opinions and.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So tell us about that.

[B]

Well, I mean, we come in, I have enough work where I don't have to make up things to try, and I wouldn't anyway.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Even if I didn't have enough work. But people do that. And we come in, we give an honest assessment of what's going on with your home, how we're going to fix it, and most importantly, the cost, which is not what most people think that it's going to be.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

They. There's a stereotype that if you're going to fix the foundation, it's going to be tens of thousands of dollars, and sometimes it's, you know, as little as a couple thousand.

[A]

Yeah. What's crazy is that, like, in today's world, there's so many scammers. Honestly, I am so sick of scammers, you know, and you're getting scammers everywhere. At the mechanic, you know, my mom, right. When she was building the house, like, you know, she like, you know, last year I was at home, right? And I'm cooking, right? And then I'm like, turning on the fan, and then I turn on the fan, it's like, okay, why? You know, the fan above the oven. Right, Right. And my mom's an older woman when she was building her house, right. And I was like, why is it still stinking here? You know, I go up and I check above the cabinets, and I'm like, there's no exit to the fan. It's just blowing it in through the house. And that's something where she got fleeced, you know, um, and there's other things. Right. Like with like the geothermal. Right. There was a dude where it was like, you know, there was four houses in the area with a geothermal. They just didn't something. Right. But now it's got. She's got a cool house now, you know.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But yeah, it's just. I'm just so sick of scammers. And then you got people calling you. You can't trust anyone, you know.

[B]

Right.

[A]

I just want to say thank you. Right. For being one of the honest dudes because we just need more of that. And then when you said, you know what it means to me to be one of America's best builders.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Is to be the, the trustful guy.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, and you don't have enough of that in our society. And I kind of just want to thank you, man.

[B]

You're welcome.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And that. And I don't think you should thank me. I think it should be a practice that everybody. That it should just be the normal.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And that's what we do.

[A]

And you know what's kind of unfortunate these days is that everything's getting more expensive and more expensive and the dollar just doesn't have the same value of what it used to back in.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Because you were saying back in the day it was, everyone was, was more trustful.

[B]

Right.

[A]

You know, in the, in the 80s, the 90s. Right.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then it's, it just seems like it's a bigger, it's like a root cause of the bigger problem of society.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Of, of what's going wrong with. You know, I'm not going to get into it but like governments and just like.

[B]

Sure.

[A]

Yeah. It's like, it's like the culture. Yeah.

[B]

The.

[A]

It's a trickle down fleecing.

[B]

Yeah, exactly.

[A]

Now we're getting fleece from the top and it trickles down. So now everyone's fleecing and everyone's got to look for a buck here and there's.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But it's, it's tough times, you know.

[B]

Right.

[A]

But that's why it's nice to have these trustful guys.

[B]

That's. I did a, A, an estimate and I ended up getting the work. It was in a lawsuit on a real estate sale and I was bidding against two other companies. The highest company was 64,000.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

The second was 58, 000.

[A]

Is this a blind bidding? Like.

[B]

No.

[A]

You don't see the other people. You're kind of just bidding for the, for the gig.

[B]

Yeah. I didn't see their bids.

[A]

Yeah. Okay.

[B]

But the lawyers Wanted three quotes.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And so I went in and did a complete laser setup and thorough assessment.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

And we came in at $12,000.

[A]

Jesus.

[B]

And you know, even.

[A]

That's labor costs.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Materials cost, paying your guys hourly rates, profit and overhead. You and your expertise saying, hey, look, I can still make a profit off this. Right?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Of. Of, you know, it's usually three times labor.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And. And materials and all that stuff. Right. So. But with that in mind, you go into the job, you give your expert opinion on what it would cost.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And then the cheapest one was still three times more than three times. What you offering.

[B]

Yeah. And. And the attorneys called me that were in the lawsuit, both of them, and they said, why are you so cheap? And I said, because that's all it needs was this little amount.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I said, I'm not sure if you're familiar with this industry, but there's companies that'll.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Oversell.

[A]

And do people in the, in the industry get mad at you?

[B]

Oh, yeah. They're. They. When they bid a job, they tell them what a. Actually what a scam I am.

[A]

Oh,

[B]

I just laugh. I did got a job in, in our town. And that the homeowner actually kicked the company out of their house.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

Because they were using that kind of sales tactic that.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, do it. Speak for yourself and mine. I speak for myself and, and what we can do. And.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

If you, if you want savings and a good job.

[A]

Yeah. And. And, and in the trades industry, word of mouth is so important.

[B]

Oh, you bet. You know, and that's what, that's what I tell a lot of my customers is, you know, if I have to do a good job for you, because a lot of them are elderly and I, I don't want to see you at Walmart and you throw a can of peas at me or something.

[A]

You know what? I had another episode, America's Best Builder, where the father kind of passed down the company to the son.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And he was telling, you got to be trustful in all this because you, you service the community and you don't. You don't ever want to have fear of walking into the grocery store. And. And then he didn't really understood what that meant until he was running the business later and he started seeing people in his community in the grocery store, and he's like, you don't ever want to hide.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Right. Because you are that scammy or whatever.

[B]

Right.

[A]

So, yeah, you're. You're saying almost the same thing.

[B]

Exactly. It's a. I'm trying to hide from somebody is not a good practice nor.

[A]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[B]

Something you. I. I don't want to do it.

[A]

You know, you had another incredible, incredible. Kind of like you, you experienced almost, you know, one miracle, but pretty much two miracles in your life. You know, one. One is like people listening. Hear me out now. This is a certified, genuine miracle that this dude experienced. Right. And it was like the second one. Right. The other one is like, okay, I, you know, not as much of a miracle, but still a miracle. But. Yeah. Tell us why it's. It's two miracles. The first was like almost a practice miracle, right? Yeah.

[B]

Getting. Getting me ready for the second.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. It's warm up to the real mirror.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

Tell us about what was the warm up miracle.

[B]

The warm up miracle was when I couldn't walk and went to neurologist after neurologist and they kept coming back with

[A]

its the wrong diagnosis. Yeah, we don't know.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

All right. And so how many experts did you see before you got diagnosed?

[B]

Probably, I'm going to say five or six.

[A]

Oh, wow.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That doesn't.

[B]

And this was from the Mayo Clinic to experts.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Big hospital.

[A]

And then it's almost like every time they can't get a diagnosis, they're probably like, well, this guy's the expert.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And this guy's more of an expert.

[B]

No, they never heard me. They just kept.

[A]

Oh, okay.

[B]

Given, you know, thinking drugs is going to be the gotcha.

[A]

They're always trying to be some. What kind of drug.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So did you, did you actually try some drugs? And it was off and it was never working.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. Still. Still not walking.

[B]

So not walking. I go to a neurologist in a town of about 10,000 people. He's a traveling neurologist. He'd retired from one of the big hospitals. And, and so he had told me about the Baclofen pump, which there's a catheter that goes to your spine and shoots muscle relaxer.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Into your legs and stops the spasticity and to where it helps people walk.

[A]

Wow. Well, sounds like, Sounds like back laughing pump.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Backloaf fun. Yeah. And it. You don't get the side effects of, you know, the, the medicine in your system and because, yeah.

[A]

You know, you're not feeling all wonky. Yeah, right.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Even if those drugs made you walk, you'd be sweating, you know.

[B]

Yeah. It was still it, but it just wasn't an accurate.

[A]

So you got this back laughing pump. Baclofen Pump.

[B]

And. And then I got it installed. It's. It's implanted in my side here.

[A]

Okay. And surgically implanted?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So you could. You couldn't be able to see it? No, it just. So is there like a. A chip that. That disperses something?

[B]

Yeah, it's all set up. Like, I go in every three months to have it refill.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

And they do everything with an iPad that. And they're the only ones that can control it because you don't want some Yahoo.

[A]

Oh. So they're. They're physically going in there and controlling when it's released or whatever.

[B]

Through the iPad?

[A]

Through the. Like through an app or something.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. And so it took. How long did it take for when they surgically implanted this thing and then how long did it take for it to kind of have an effect?

[B]

About 24 hours.

[A]

24 hours?

[B]

Yeah. And I was at a rehab hospital.

[A]

Yeah. And you were not walking for like three years.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, pretty much I had to use either crutches or a wheelchair.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And so I'm using a walker at the rehab, going around, and it had kicked in. And I'm walking and I'm like, I don't need. Because I felt the strength just come back and.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And it was like I pushed the walker aside and I went and just walked.

[A]

And. Yeah.

[B]

They were in rehab hospitals. They freak out if you just start walking.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Well. And I was so happy, I started dancing. I was.

[A]

I'm sure.

[B]

Oh, it was the. One of the most joyful days of my life.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

Yeah. And I knew at that point nothing could stop me.

[A]

Yeah. And so that's the warm up miracle.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Not. Not a laughing matter at the back laughing that got installed. But it's game time. The miracle time. The real deal, Right.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I was. He could see the look on my face. And I was giving the interview and I was like. I was like, what? So, yeah, you literally died.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So that's how this miracle goes. Yeah. I died. Right. So. Yeah. So tell us, how did you die?

[B]

We drove from Topeka, Kansas, which was elevation 1000, roughly 900 to a th.000. We drove to Colorado Springs to see my oldest son, Joe. When we got there, finally, my wife said, oh, you look terrible. And I was. She said I was purple. And I said I was tired. I just need to go to bed.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So I went to bed, went to sleep, and that was the last thing I remember.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

And.

[A]

And then late night, right?

[B]

Yeah. Who comes in well, it was actually my son Luke came in to wake my wife up because I was having, like, a death rattle.

[A]

Yeah. What's that mean, a death rattle?

[B]

It's just like spasms. Your air just expelling from your. Yeah. It's just a hurdle, like.

[A]

Oh, God.

[B]

And so I was. And so my wife takes me to an urgent care, which I give her a lot of trouble. Yeah. Urgent care.

[A]

You're gonna slow this one.

[B]

Yeah. And so when we. And she actually, they. The urgent care then called the ambulance, which, you know, put. Innovated me and did all the.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Stuff to kind of keep me alive to get to the hospital. So I'm in the hospital a couple days. And like. Like I said, during that time, I. I remember looking up at my wife and telling her that the, you know, everything's gonna be fine.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Blah, blah. And I've always told my wife, don't ever take me off life support.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I'll come back.

[A]

So how. How. How. Why. Why do you say dead? Because these people were just like. You were on life support. You were flatlining or you were brain dead.

[B]

I was brain dead. There was no heartbeat. There was no brain.

[A]

For how long?

[B]

For two days.

[A]

For two days?

[B]

Yeah. For while. I mean, that's why they. They had to put life support on me, to keep my organs.

[A]

Okay. Yeah.

[B]

Going.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And.

[A]

And then.

[B]

Or at least my lungs, you know, oxygen.

[A]

Okay. So now you're living by a machine.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

On life support. Okay. And then what happened, man? Some crazy. Yeah, well, this. This deserves a little, you know, some craziness. Okay. So.

[B]

No, it's crazy shit. Yeah. So the doctors, the ICU doctors told my wife that she needed to call family and friends, and because they've never seen anybody come out of this. So she does. She calls everybody. And then her and her best friend are in the room, and this elderly nurse came in and asked my wife, do you want him to wake up? And my wife, irritated, irritated, said, yes, we want him to wake up. And she. The nurse asked again, are you sure you want him to wake up?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And her best friend, who's a little feisty, Stacy, she said, you know, if you're not waking up, wake him up.

[A]

So. So does your wife and her friend Stacy talking to this nurse?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Talk to this elderly nurse. I asked him twice. Hey, you want him to wake up?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then what's this elderly nurse do?

[B]

She lifts my gown.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And this is my wife telling the story.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And lifts my gown, gives me a 360 degree titty twister.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And that's when I. And I was tied down to the. Excuse me. Restrained to the bed.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And you know, and the elderly nurse says, hi, honey, do you know who these people are? Yeah. And I'm looking at them and I know, I mean, it's my wife and her best friend. And I look out the wind. There's a four by eight window there. And all I could see is Pikes Peak. And I thought, this is the most beautiful sight I ever saw. I'm awake. My wife goes to get the ICU doctors and they come in and they're. They. What happened? And so my wife proceeded to tell them about the elderly nurse that came in, gave me a titty twister. And I woke up and they said, we don't have an elderly nurse on this floor. The oldest person is 40.

[A]

Yeah. That's not elderly.

[B]

No, no. And the. The nurse. The elderly nurse left and never to be seen again.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

So that was my angel.

[A]

Yeah. So you. So you would think that you would be in contact with this woman over time to thank her for saving your life, but you never saw her again. There's no word. Nobody knew the hospital that. No one knew who this, you know, somebody that just came in titty twisted you up. Yeah. Brought you back from the dead.

[B]

Which is not a medical. In any medical records as a. As a resuscitation.

[A]

Doctors take note. It should be, you know, hope is failed. Twist, twist, a little nip, you know, and then.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Good lord. Yeah. All right, man. I mean, that. That is. That is crazy.

[B]

And then the doctors even. I mean, it's in my medical record. As the doctors just said, it's a miracle. There's no other way to explain it that.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

It was a miracle and I had no repercussions of the.

[A]

Of being brain dead. Yeah. And on life support for that long.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Wow, man, that is crazy story. Well, to bring it back. Right. First of all, the lesson here is never underestimate the power of a titty twister.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

All right.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Or.

[A]

Or the elderly woman. Okay.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then going back. Right. What are you most excited about right now? It could be business, it could be personal life. But I always ask everyone, what are you most excited about?

[B]

Oh, I love my family. I've got five kids, My wonderful wife.

[A]

Yeah. Five kids.

[B]

Yeah. Ten grandkids.

[A]

Yeah. That you were really living life afterwards.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You got busy.

[B]

We. And just enjoying life outside of work, but I enjoy every bit of work as well.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

And. And that was one of the reasons I started my business was to help homeowners that don't understand, which, you know. And I use this percentage. You know, the homeowners I run into, 98% of them do not know. And the other 2% do not know either.

[A]

Yeah, but I mean, come on, how would we know? You know, you can't be an expert at everything. Right. That's why they have experts like you.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So. Yeah. So how do. Like, what are the four states you operate in and how do people find you?

[B]

It is Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

[A]

All right.

[B]

And you can find me on my website, www.pitfoundationrepair.com.

[A]

and that's P I1T or two T's.

[B]

Two T's. P I, T, T. Okay. And then pit foundation repair.

[A]

All right, hit foundation prepare.com. yeah, you heard the states. Email him. Give this guy a call. He's one of the good guys. But thank you so much for sharing your story coming here today. It was a privilege talking to you.

[B]

It was.

[A]

And the work that you do, man.

[B]

You bet.

[A]

All right, and thank you guys for tuning in again and, you know, listening to all these stories that we're privileged to tell here on the Living youg Legacy podcast and on Inside Success. You know, I'm very happy to have this job and speak to so many amazing people, and hopefully you guys enjoy listening to it. So thanks again. Cheers, everyone.