Michael De Beyer could very well be the world's best employer ever. There's a good reason why - it is because he is selling a business he has owned and been managing for 17 years, which he believes has a value of $ 2 million, to help an employee in her battle with brain tumor.
Beyer owns Kaiserhaus Restaurant and Wunderbar, located off Texas 105 on Commerce-Row Drive. It sits on a 1.5-acre corner lot in a 6,000-square-foot building. Brittany Mathis is the 19 year-old waitress, bus-girl and kitchen aid he employs, who has been diagnosed with a brain tumor months three days after going to the hospital complaining of headaches, blurred vision, dizziness and blood clots in the back of her legs and in her hands and erratic heart rate and blood pressure levels. She doesn't have healthcare, and cannot afford treatments on her waitress' salary.
Brittany could not even afford further tests to determine whether the tumor is benign or malignant. Brittany and her mother, Barbara, who also works as a manager for Michael's restaurant and bar, tried to get help from doctors, even if just for an MRI, but they have not gotten any. Barbara suspects that it's because Brittney does not have healthcare.
Brittany's father, John Mathis, died in 2000 of a ruptured brain tumor that no one knew anything about. He was only 33 years old.
"I have listed my restaurant for several years and recently turned down an offer for $1.3 million," Michael said. "But now I want to auction it off at a reserve price or minimum bid which is 50 percent of the actual value, and anything above that will go to help Brittany."
"Michael has been a real blessing to our family," Brittany said. "And he's just always been there whenever we've needed anything." Michael also employs Brittany's 20-year-old sister Kay as a waitress.
"I'm not able to just sit by and let it happen," Michael said. "I couldn't live with myself. I would never be happy just earning money from my restaurant knowing that she needs help."
