Kindly grandpa offered to help tidy grave at cemetery... only for 700-pound headstone to collapse on top of him and leave him brain dead

By WILKO MARTÍNEZ-CACHERO, US REPORTER Published: 00:46, 8 July 2026 | Updated: 00:49, 8 July 2026 A beloved Georgia grandfather was helping out at a cemetery when a 700–pound headstone suddenly fell on him and left him brain dead. Brett McMichael, 52, had been cutting grass at the cemetery of Juliette United Methodist Church in Juliette, about 70 miles south of Atlanta, on June 26 with his father Pop and another individual at the time of the accident. McMichael, a grandfather of seven, was trying to level a monument on a gravesite using a strap, so that the group could mow around the area. That proved to be McMichael's 'final act of kindness,' as the monument abruptly collapsed and hit him so hard that he was knocked unconscious. McMichael was immediately airlifted to a Macon hospital, where he was placed on a ventilator. He also underwent surgery to remove a portion of his skull to relieve pressure on his brain and reduce swelling. On Tuesday, McMichael's family announced that they had met with his medical team to talk about his quality of life after the cemetery accident. 'After many heartfelt conversations, difficult prayers, and with heavy hearts, the decision was made to remove Brett from life support this Thursday,' Grace McMichael, his daughter–in–law, wrote on GoFundMe. Grandfather-of-seven Brett McMichael, 52, is set set to be removed from life support this Thursday after being hit by a monument on a gravesite at the Juliette United Methodist Church in Juliette, Georgia McMichael's family made the decision after consultations with his doctors. He had been in the hospital since June 26  On top of being placed on a ventilator, McMichael had been diagnosed with two broken vertebrae in his neck and a fractured or broken ankle. He was still set to require facial reconstruction surgeries along with several other procedures. Before announcing that he would be removed from life support later this week, McMichael's family only said 'there [were] still many unknowns.' 'We are taking things moment by moment,' an original statement from the family read. A fundraiser for McMichael said he was his wife Donna's primary caregiver, as she is disabled and has chronic lung disease. Donna requires oxygen 24 hours a day and is unable to work. The fundraiser said any money raised would go towards McMichael's funeral expenses and her medical costs. As of Tuesday, about $12,100 of an initial $14,000 goal had been raised. Agreeing to remove her husband from life support was one of the most difficult decisions she ever had to make, the fundraiser added. McMichael was remembered as 'a man of tremendous kindness, generosity, and unwavering faith.' McMichael had also suffered two broken vertebrae in his neck, as well as a fractured or broken ankle, as part of the cemetery accident McMichael's son, Landon (second from left), said he had told his dad that he needed him to 'go ahead and get out of this bed because you are my rock' McMichael's son, Landon, said his father had 'always loved to help out people.' He recalled making a plea to his dad at the hospital after he was airlifted there following the cemetery accident. 'I said, "I need you to go ahead and get out of this bed because you are my rock,"' Landon told 13WMAZ. McMichael was a volunteer firefighter with the Jones County Fire Department, who was set to celebrate 35 years with the force in August. 'It's an emotional roller coaster,' Thomas Coleman, the Jones County Fire Chief, told the outlet. 'It's heartbreaking to see a guy that serves his community, his church, his family, friends, and all that always [l]ends a hand to help anybody else sitting there,' Coleman added. McMichael's sister–in–law, Crissy Marie Parks, asked for continued prayers for his devastating injuries and noted that the family was still holding out 'for a miracle.' 'But if that miracle does not come by this Thursday, we will gather to say goodbye and entrust him to the Lord,' she wrote on Facebook. The accident happened at the cemetery (pictured) of Juliette United Methodist Church in Juliette, about 70 miles south of Atlanta, on June 26 The fundraiser said McMichael would also be survived by his seven grandchildren: Brooks, Brooklyn, LJ, and Evee–Lou, Jackson, Victor, and Bradley. McMichael's accident has been addressed by the Juliette United Methodist Church on its social media channels. On the day he was struck by the monument, the church wrote they would be 'doing a special offering' for McMichael that Sunday. Their last update was on July 4, which said, 'Please continue your prayers for this sweet family.' The Daily Mail has reached out to McMichael's family for further comment.