MONROE — There is really no way to recount in words, she said, the horror of seeing a fiancé not only collapse and die — but to do so in the presence of their young children.

Without words. That’s where Bailey Dorn — a young mother and educator at Clinton School in Rock County — found herself on a cold December 12, 2025. She and her family were inside their Brodhead home, at the end of a tough year that was about to end in the worst possible way. 

Michael S. Babcock, 37, of Brodhead, simply collapsed without warning. No known health condition. Just gone, and the cause would later be revealed as a pulmonary embolism.

“I was holding him and the last thing he said to me was that he loved me; and we told each other ‘I love you’ and Mike was gone,” she said, recounting those the last moments on a recent weekday.

Babcock’s death hit family and friends hard — for this man was described by most as larger than life. 

Mike and Bailey had been engaged for about two years, though they knew each other and had crossed paths and even dated at times over the years before finally getting serious in 2023.

“While his time here was far too short, Mike managed to pack it full of mud, horsepower, fresh air, and laughter,” proclaimed his obituary, published a week before Christmas.

The condition that took Mike’s life has caused widespread death and heartache. A pulmonary embolism — and the related venous thromboembolism — cause an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 deaths in the United States annually. Moreover, it is a leading cause of preventable hospital death, with nearly 370,000 PE events reported in 2016. Meanwhile, experts said, Deaths from PE have shown a recent, concerning rise, especially among people under 65. 

Back home in Brodhead, Dorn said that while the initial shock is gone and the days lonely and long, she is still trying to raise her two boys, a task she says she is more than up for. 

But it’s more than that — she is doing all of this even though she is on the verge of eviction from the modest family home because the house was owned by Mike and thus his family; and they were not married. There was no help in the form of life insurance, nor a will.

In addition to the two young boys, Mike has a 15-year-old son, Patrick, who no longer lives with them and whom she says she is trying to protect from any additional grief or anxiety about the situation.

“I shouldn’t have to worry about keeping a roof over my kids’ heads and food on the table while still grieving,” said Dorn, who recalls the events of December 12 bravely, but with language laden with grief. “(They) understand everything, they know my fiancé is gone, too.”

Crucially, she said 11-year-old Jonathon Blaxill and especially 5-year-old Kayden Dorn are keenly aware that they have little no security when it comes to housing at the worst possible time; and during the coldest months of the year. 

But the law cares little for matters of the heart and the mitigating circumstances that come with love.

“My children witnessed something no child should ever have to see. From that moment on, their world — and mine — was shattered,” she said in an article that’s part of a GoFundMe campaign that has so far raised about $5,000 online from more than 75 donors. “Grief did not end when the ambulance left. It followed us into every moment afterward.”

For those who want to help the family out, a large fundraiser is planned for 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Bucky’s Lucky Bell in Janesville. The event includes a basket raffle, meat raffle, lottery board, 50/50 draw, and more. Prizes include a donated, signed Packers football.

Dorn also is hoping that someone else can be helped by hearing her story of grief, resilience, and love. And she hopes the kids don’t have to have their lives further disrupted by things the boys don’t control.

“They have been thriving in Brodhead schools,” she said, adding she is touched by outpouring of community support during the tragedy. “We love this community and want to stay if we can.”

Writing on social media about her Eulogy for Mike, Bailey said she is now committed to helping others, even as she fights for her own survival: “I made a promise to Mike in my eulogy that I would honor his name. Part of honoring him now is telling the truth about what families go through after sudden loss. I hope this brings awareness so other families don’t end up in the same position my children an I are in. I want people to understand how important it is to protect their loved ones legally, and how fragile families become when there’s no safety net in place.”