For the Love of Mike

On December 8, 2022, Denver’s beloved drag photographer and dear friend to OFM, Mike Bomberger, was struck by a vehicle while riding his scooter in the Denver metro area. Mike is no longer in a non-medically induced coma, and at the time of this publishing, is beginning to track things with his eyes and move his arms and hands. There is still a long way to go toward recovery. Friends and family alike continue to send healing thoughts and prayers for his recovery.

Several fundraiser events have been held since Mike’s accident, all of the proceeds of which have gone to the go-fund-me created by his family. So far, the go-fund-me has raised a little over $7,000 out of its $20,000 goal. Those wishing to donate can follow the QR code on the bottom of the page.

Mike fell in love with photography at a young age through going on nature walks with his father. His first real breakthrough was when he bought his first DSLR camera, and his work was published in OFM just three months later. Made locally famous for his work with the drag and LGBTQ community in Denver, Mike would go on to make lasting friendships and connections with everyone he worked with.

Mike is also an avid scooter enthusiast and would often ride his flip scooter around town. Additionally, Mike never rode without his helmet, knee ,and elbow pads. On the night of his accident, Mike was taken into the ICU wearing all of his protective equipment.

At the time of this publishing, no accident report has been released to Mike’s family, another thing his supporters are fighting for to gain clarity.

A blog for updates on Mike’s condition, titled For the Love of Mike, was started by his sister Bex, who provided a comprehensive up date detailing the seriousness of his condition on December 12. The Update reads as follows:

Good News

• Mike’s body is recovering well.
• His surgeries on his legs went perfectly today, and they will be healed within weeks.
• His chest tube is out, so his collapsed lung is resolved.
• The intra-abdominal injuries to his spleen and kidney have stabilized.
• There is increased reactivity in his pupils and in his pain responses.
• He is breathing mostly on his own, and the tracheostomy will soon replace the ventilator.
• The MRI showed no injury to his spinal cord nor abnormal alignment of the spine.
• His blood pressure and heart rate are looking great.
• Once he is off the ventilator, he could step down to a lower ICU unit or move to a long-term acute care hospital.