Posted Monday, October 12, 2009 --- 3:00 p.m.

Back in June, for the 25th anniversary of the Barneveld tornado, we re-introduced you to a local woman who lost her two-year-old son in the disaster. Within two months, she would find out her other son - who survived the twister - is facing a life-threatening disease.

"My girlfriend brung me here Sunday morning after my brother's wedding... took them 15 minutes, and they knew exactly what I had."

29-year-old Michael Aschliman had headaches... night sweats... pain...for weeks. But the diagnosis began what he and his mother call eight weeks of hell.

"We looked up Leukemia on the Internet, and he had all of the clinical signs," Michael's mother, Sue Clerkin, says.

Aschliman would spend almost two months at UW Hospital undergoing treatment... away from work...

"When he's going back to work, we have no clue."

... away from his 6-year-old daughter.

"I think she's very much an inspiration to keep him going," Clerkin says.

This week, Aschliman's undergoing three days of chemotherapy.

"Even though he's 29 years old, he's still my oldest kid. He's still my oldest baby."

Michael was 4-years-old when a tornado ripped through Barneveld in 1984 ...

"And then Matthew died and everything kind of changed, totally," Clerkin told NBC15 News in June.

... killing his younger brother Matthew.

"You wonder how much a human being can go through, but you take it one day at a time, you know," she says.

"You gotta accept it, which is probably the hardest thing," Michael says.

Michael recently learned he is in remission.

"But I still have worries, still have doubts."

He and his mom also have hopes an unrelated donor will work for a bone marrow transplant.

"Something like this you find out how strong you are and who's really important in your life," he says.

The benefit for Michael begins at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Village Inn Pub in Hollandale. The address is 501 State St. It will feature a raffle, silent auction and live music.

You also can make a donation through Farmers Savings Bank.

Check out locations at:
https://www.farmerssavings.com/about_us/locations.htm

Checks payable to Michael Aschliman Benefit.