Rob's Battle with Brain Cancer

On December 27th, after struggling with thyroid issues, Rob had an MRI conducted on his pituitary gland. During the MRI it was identified that Rob had a massive brain tumor. He quickly contacted Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville and met a team of specialists to develop a thorough care plan to battle a very aggressive, slow growing grade 3 oligodendroglioma cancer.

On January 26th, Rob had a successful surgery to remove his tumor; however, due to the positioning of the tumor, he permanently lost his left peripheral vision in both eyes, leaving him unable to drive. Additionally, following surgery for 6 months Rob is unable to lift more than 5 lbs and he was required to complete both chemo & radiation treatments. The combination of his diagnosis, the post-surgery restrictions, plus side effects from chemo and radiation, were devastating as he is self-employed (owning his own Construction company) and this ultimately limited his ability to work.

On May 18, Rob and his wife, Keri, went to Jacksonville for updated scans and in hopes of receiving some good news and seeing signs of some return to normalcy in their lives. The scans identified that Rob has a build-up of fluid in his brain that is growing and creating pressure and risks very similar to when he had the tumor. They left Mayo that day with intentions of being back in the next few weeks for a second surgery. The next morning, Rob suffered from a seizure and fell out of bed. During the fall he broke his back. Despite this, his medical team at Mayo feels very strongly they needed to act with urgency to get the fluid released and are proceeding with his surgery on Thursday, June 1st. This creates yet another set-back in getting Rob back to working full time, as his 6+ month weight restrictions and recovery timelines re-start.

In light of recent events, Rob and his family are finding themselves in a difficult financial situation. They have found some expenses are not covered fully by insurance and his multiple surgeries, broken back and permanent vision loss have impacted his ability to work consistently. The funds raised in this fundraiser will be used to cover Rob's medical expenses, programs and services to help him regain independence as he copes with his continued battle with brain cancer, as well as living expenses for him, Keri, and their two children, Caden (12) and Bailey (9) while he remains unable to work.

For those of you that know Rob, this ask doesn't come lightly. He is hard working, proud of the life he has built for his family and he is pretty darn stubborn too! He is also extremely generous and over the years he has supported so many other friends and family members as they faced their own struggles and curveballs in life. Now it is time to rally for Rob and help him and his family during their time of need. Thank you so much for your consideration and support!!

To stay up to date on Rob's Journey on Rob's Caring Bridge Site.

Disclosure: This fundraiser is organized by Rob’s family. Rob’s sister, Lindsey Roal, will manage the account for the benefit of Rob, his wife, Keri, and their children, Caden and Bailey.