Benefit set for Borstad to help with medical expenses

Editor’s note: This version corrects that Michelle Borstad was a physical therapy technician at Northern Montana Hospital.

A silent auction and sloppy joe dinner to help with costs of medical expenses is set for Michelle Borstad of Havre at the Havre Eagles Club Sunday, March 15, from noon to 3 p.m.

Borstad suffered from a massive brain bleed Jan. 19 and is in Seattle at Harborview Medical Center, Borstad's best friend and benefit host Jamie Christiansen said.

"She was doing really good, doing physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and everything. She's got short-term memory issues right now, but other than that she was doing really good," Christiansen said. "We thought she was going to be able to come home Feb. 19, but actually found out on Feb. 15 she has bacterial meningitis."

She said Borstad went back into intensive care Monday and also had surgery Monday. 

The doctors had put a shunt in her brain for the drainage from the brain bleed, but since she got the meningitis the doctors had to take that shunt out, she added.

"She is bacteria free for the last 10 days, so they're doing surgery to put that back in today (Monday)," Christiansen said. "It could be another month before she can come home."

She said Borstad is originally from North Dakota, but came to Havre to go to Montana State University-Northern to play basketball as a Skylight.

She worked for Northern Montana Hospital as a physical therapy technician before starting to work as a supply clerk for Pacific Medical Inc.

Christiansen said, along with the silent auction, free will donations will be accepted at the event, or people can make donations to the Michelle Borstad Benefit Account at Bear Paw Credit Union in Havre.

For more information or to make a donation for the silent auction, people can contact Christiansen at 945-2915.