Saloon to host fundraiser for Crohn’s patient

WASILLA — Whatever purpose the Mug-Shot Saloon serves for the nightlife of Wasilla, the bar will soon play a different role: channeling local support to a man and his family, in need of a hand up.

On Oct. 4 from 3 to 5 p.m., friends and family members of James “Jimmy” Nix will be hosting a silent auction with a spaghetti feed and potluck to follow.

Jimmy has Crohn’s disease, a “chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract,” according to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America website. In layman’s terms, it’s a messy and painful disorder that affects the immune system, causing the intestines to swell and thereby making digestion difficult.

For Jimmy Nix, his wife Caroline Wilde-Nix said, that meant being admitted to Mat-Su Regional Hospital on Aug. 2 and undergoing three surgeries, which included removing a part of his intestines and his colon.

“A week after his first surgery they found out stool was leaking inside of him which caused inflammation in his lungs (bad breathing issues),” Caroline wrote in a Facebook message. “So on top of breathing issues he had to have another surgery and they decided to give him a temporary colostomy bag (ileostomy), then he had an abscess so they had to go back in and clean his insides and put two drains in him and put three long stitch-like things to keep his incision together.”

The lung issues continued for a month, she said, and Jimmy had to receive three blood transfusions for other problems associated with Crohn’s. Due to his condition, he had to consume food intravenously, and contracted two infections from the IV ports. Jimmy was placed in the intensive care unit four times during the course of his stay at the hospital, his wife said; the last time, he was sedated for three days, as result of oxygen levels so low a breathing tube had to be inserted in his esophagus, and to help his body relax and heal.

A few days prior to leaving Mat-Su Regional on Sept. 13, Jimmy was able to cease use of the IV and feeding tube, but eating is still difficult and unpleasant for him, his wife said.

Caroline is a bartender and cocktail waitress at the Mug-Shot, and Jimmy was working as a concrete finisher. Being in the hospital for six weeks not only ran up the bills, but also seriously reduced Nix’s paycheck, since the season for concrete work is quickly passing.

“He was in the middle of his work season and was told that he has to take it easy for a year to build his immune system back up,” Wilde-Nix wrote.

The couple also has five children under the age of 18 to take care of, and Jimmy has to undergo another surgery in a couple of months to reverse his ileostomy, his wife said.

So, Mug-Shot business manager Nikki Lee and Caroline’s longtime friend, Sheila Meiller got together and plotted the fundraiser.

“He’s just a really great guy,” Meiller said, of Jimmy. “I would do anything for them.”

Local businesses such as Extreme Tan, Arctic Tattoo and Tuesday Night Fights are providing gift certificates for the auction, Meiller said. The spaghetti dinner is covered by the Mug-Shot. Supporters are also welcome to bring food to share.

To get involved or donate items for the silent auction, contact Sheila Meiller at 232-2925.

Contact Caitlin Skvorc at 352-2266 or caitlin.skvorc@frontiersman.com.