BURGAW, N.C. (WECT) – Inside Michael Pearsall’s Burgaw home sits a fully equipped private flight simulator — an escape for a man determined to take flight once again.
In September, Pearsall was mid-flight with a flight instructor while training to earn his pilot’s license when his vision suddenly blurred. Recognizing something was wrong, he sought medical care; within days, his cockpit was replaced by a hospital bed.
Doctors diagnosed the Burgaw Town Council member with leukemia.
“I like experimenting things, but leukemia… cancer… something I would never, ever thought I would have,” Pearsall said.
Pearsall spent nearly five weeks at Duke University Hospital receiving intensive chemotherapy and multiple blood transfusions. Now back home, his next step toward survival is securing a matching bone marrow donor.
Finding that match, however, presents significant challenges. Pearsall is Black and Asian — two groups historically underrepresented on national bone marrow registries.
“That mixture, which is going to be kind of tough, but oh, whatever it takes,” Pearsall said. “I’m in it for the long haul.”
Despite the steep odds, Pearsall remains focused on his family, his community, and his return to the skies. Beyond serving on the Burgaw Town Council, he is determined to be there as a father and as a husband to his wife, Gloria.
“As my daughter said, I do a lot of things for a lot of people and don’t worry about myself,” Pearsall said. “I worry about ensuring about she’s okay if things are different.”
Regardless of what lies ahead, Pearsall refuses to lose his optimism as he prepares for his next medical appointment in November.
“If this battle does not end the way we might want it to end, people around us are going to say: he fought, we did this. So, stay positive,” Pearsall said.
If you’re interested in joining the national bone marrow registry, click here.
Pearsall’s family has posted a GoFundMe for his battle against cancer.
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