Alumnus remembers friend

Michael Ethridge

Yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of a very sad day for myself and many other MSU alumni. On July 25, 1992, Mississippi State lost a great alumnus, fan, and friend. You won't find Michael P. Ethridge on any list of large contributors. He wanted to send money but he couldn't afford it. Mike supported MSU with his pride, loyalty, and spirit. I'm writing because I wanted you to know how special he was. Mike touched many lives and I hope the way he lived his life can be an inspiration to others who weren't lucky enough to know him. Mike passed away due to complications caused by cystic fibrosis. He died two months before his 25th birthday.

I met Mike when we were both sophomores at State. His roommate was one of my study partners. I remember when I met Mike that I was overwhelmed with his sense of humor and his outlook toward life when faced with such a terrible disease. In time, I didn't even notice that he was any different, and that's how he wanted it. Mike just wanted to be one of the guys. He would often push himself to the point of exhaustion to prove he was just like everyone else. But, Mike wasn't like everyone else. He was fighting a disease for which there is no cure—a disease in which most children afflicted with it are not expected to live past their teen years. A disease that everyone knew would one day take his life. Yet he was able to follow his dreams and achieve his goal of earning a degree in electrical engineering.

Almost two years after leaving MSU, I moved to Houston, Texas. Mike had been living in Houston for almost a year. We quickly became very close friends. We shared the same love for MSU and the memories we had there. Mike was a proud American, he was a proud Mississippian, and most of all, he was a proud Mississippi State Bulldog! He was a loyal fan. He cheered every football, basketball, and baseball win. And he got mad as hell at every loss. He was especially proud of Coach Sherrill, for the wonderful job he did in his first season at MSU.

We road-tripped to Memphis for the Liberty Bowl, even though the ride and the weather would exhaust him. He stayed to the final whistle in support of the team, even though the outcome was obvious. We talked about the next season from the time the Liberty Bowl ended.

It was during this time that I saw exactly what kind of pain Mike had to endure just to stay alive. He had to give himself several shots a day. He had to take handfuls of pills before each meal. He had to wake up every morning at 5 a.m. to do his breathing treatments. But, you would never hear him complain. Mike fought his CF with every ounce of courage, determination, and tenacity he had in his body. He exemplified what being a Mississippi State Bulldog is all about. He loved life. He never took one moment for granted. There was always something else he wanted to try, and he was never afraid to try something new. I guess the most admirable quality he had was that he never stopped dreaming. Most people are afraid to dream for fear of disappointment, but not Mike. He often talked about his future. His dream of a wife and family was a frequent topic of discussion. His dream of a cure for the disease he fought all of his life was another. And he never once said, what if these dreams never come true. He always talked as if they were inevitable. Mike never gave up. Although CF ended up taking his life, he did beat it. He fought it until the end and lived much longer than was expected.

It is my hope that through you, Dr. Zacharias, Mike's life will touch many others the way it touched mine. I listened to you speak at a recent function here in Houston, and you were talking about John Grisham and other former Mississippi State students we can all be proud of and look up to. Well, I often look up to Mike for support and inspiration, and I'm so very proud of his accomplishments. If you could, please pass this letter on to the people at The Reflector or the Alumnus magazine. It would be greatly appreciated.

We got some dawgs up there!