Mike Pirtle was the President of the San Antonio chapter of the Bikers Against Child Abuse, or B.A.C.A. The organization is a 501(c)(3) that helps abused children feel safe in the world they live.
"My dad raised us where he told us every day. He would tuck us in bed at night. He would tell us he loved us. Even as adults, every single time we saw him, he would greet us with a hug and tell us he loved us...It's something that's just engrained in me," Pirtle's daughter Becky Eller said.
She said it was that love that brought her father to B.A.C.A. "Members, they will go to court for the children, to make them feel safe," Eller said. "They are going into court against these perpetrators and they feel scared, and they feel alone, and these B.A.C.A. members will be there for these children so that way they don't feel alone or scared."
Pirtle was coming home from an adoption event, which is when an abused child is accepted into the B.A.C.A. family, when the accident happened. "He noticed there was something wrong with his tire, so he signaled he was going to slow down, and he slowed down to they said about 30 or 35 when his tire blew and it sent his bike flying," Eller said.
Pirtle was in a medically induced coma in critical condition for just over a month, but passed away from his injuries Tuesday. Pirtle's family has been by his side, and the B.A.C.A. family has been by their side. "Every single day that we've been here, my mom, my sister, my brother was here earlier. Every day there has been somebody from B.A.C.A. whether it's been Houston or Austin or here, they've come and just been with us and to help support," Eller said.
The family is thankful for all of the prayers, but they continue this GoFundMe for support as the medical expenses kept climbing.
Eller has this message for all kids, big, or small. "Don't wait to tell your dad how much you love him. Tell him now because you don't know how long...You don't know if you are going to have your dad tomorrow, so tell him now," she said.
To find out more about Bikers Against Child Abuse click here: http://bacaworld.org/