Credit: DisneyThe Walt Disney World community is opening its hearts to help out a beloved staple of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Stephan Mikés, better known by his friends as “the man who can do anything,” is a live performer and sitar player who performs as Chakranadi in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. You can often find him in the Asia section of the Park, showing off his amazing skills across from the Feathered Friends in Flight theater. He performs multiple sets on Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, delighting Guests with everything from traditional Hindustani music to reggae, as well as original compositions that were created specifically for Animal Kingdom.
However, on Sunday, March 3, Mikés suffered an unfortunate medical emergency that required him to end his second set of the day early, and he was rushed to the hospital. It was discovered there that he had coronary artery disease and five arteries to the heart were blocked, so he underwent quintuple bypass surgery.
Mikés spent 18 days in the hospital, 14 of which were in the ICU. While the surgery was a success and the recovery process has begun, it’s a very long one. According to his wife, Bonnie Pedicord, the exact recovery time will depend on how long it takes for her sternum bone to knit, which can take six to eight weeks. His family is optimistic that he’ll make a full recovery.
However, such a major procedure and long recovery time stack up a lot of medical bills, copays, and loss of income. Therefore, his family has launched a GoFundMe to help Mikés cover medical expenses and loss of income during his recovery time. You can visit the GoFundMe and donate here.
If you’re interested in supporting him in other ways, you can also purchase his music on his website, or share the GoFundMe on social media to encourage others to donate. The Disney community is no stranger to being the first to help Cast Members in their time of need.
We wish Mikés and his family good health and an easy and quick recovery!