Healing Help For Bobby-Q

In 2012 our dear friend Bob LeRose - father, husband, founder of Bobby-Q’s restaurants, lover and promoter of blues music and local artists, passionate Fairfield County community leader - was diagnosed with a rare soft tissue sarcoma and given two years to live.

Anyone who knows Bob knows that this grim prognosis was not acceptable.

Instead of sitting back and letting this diagnosis define him, he battled it with the determination of the great man that we all know him to be.

Shortly after he was diagnosed, he and Kelley traveled to Vienna, Austria for a month in order for Bob to go through a series of alternative treatments with the hope that natural healing would bring this all to an end so that life could resume as planned. Yet once they returned it was clear that wouldn’t be enough, so he proceeded to have the first surgery to remove what was left of the tumor.

Unfortunately, this was only the beginning of the disease rearing its ugly head.

Over the next 10 years, Bob has had to endure numerous surgeries and undergo countless treatments. Yet during this period he still found the time to open two new iterations of his beloved Bobby-Q’s restaurants in Greenwich and Norwalk AND to organize and produce several “Blues, Views & BBQ” Festivals in downtown Westport, CT.

Often times this was done from the confines of a hospital bed or wheelchair.

Yet of course Bob went about it with his unflagging optimism and perseverance. People in the community may not have known the extent of Bob's health issues because he still showed up with a smiling face and a passion that is unmatched.

If it isn't obvious enough already, Bob is one of the most determined and positive people there is. And his desire to bring people together and strengthen community is what makes him such a critical part of OUR community.

Needless to say, he didn’t do all this alone. Bob's incredible wife Kelley has been at his side for all of it - managing both the restaurants and the growth of their family, and helping to ensure their two daughters Alex and Meghan had the support necessary to get through their own adolescent hurdles and successfully graduate from college.

Yet now, despite having surmounted all those hurdles, Bob faces some serious new challenges.

Which is why he, Kelley, and their family need our help.

At this moment, your donation can be a game changer.

Due to the persistence and recurrence of the cancer, Bob now needs physical AND occupational therapy 5+ days a week - just to regain his strength so he can get to the hospital to receive crucial blood transfusions and immunotherapy treatments.

To assist with some basic tasks like getting in and out of bed and general mobility, Bob needs a special bed and wheelchair.

And there are countless other expenses that just keep on coming.

As a self-employed restauranteur, 9+ years of medical bills have taken their toll and the family cannot shoulder the cost of these additional, necessary expenses.

Over the years Bob and Kelley's devotion and loyalty, along with their restaurants and music events, have given so much to so many.

Now it’s our turn to give.

Our goal is to raise $100,000. All funds will go directly and immediately to help Bob heal and vastly improve his quality of life.

Anything you can contribute will of course be greatly appreciated. Here is a sample of what you will be helping out with:

The above chart is not an exhaustive list of what Bob will need over the next 6-12+ months, but hopefully it gives you an idea of what Bob and his family are up against.

Defying the odds and getting to this point has been nothing short of a heroic effort by Bob and his family.

It’s time for the next round of heroes to step up.

We thank you, in advance, with all our hearts.