Rossi battles Functional Neurological Disorders

Our friend Rob Rossi needs help.

One day after covering Penguins practice in November, Rob laid down to take a nap to try and relieve migraine symptoms. When he woke up that evening, his life changed.

His speech stuttered uncontrollably. His right arm suddenly had a significant tremor.

Nearly four months later, both of those debilitating symptoms have remained. He has been diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorders. Doctors still have not determined the root cause of the disorder, why or how it struck, or why its symptoms have persisted this long.

Simple and mundane tasks, things we take for granted like typing an email or completing a phone call, have become a challenge. Nearly every aspect of Rob's life has been different. In the months since, Rob has undergone intensive therapy and sought speech pathology and speech therapy in the hopes that he'll be able to return to work soon at the Athletic.

While Rob has made progress, a return to work is not in the near future. His migraines have come and gone in waves. They are unpredictable in duration and severity, and they've made something as relaxing as watching a show or movie next to impossible with the inability to focus.

Through it all, Rob has inspired with his positive spirit, ability to laugh and toughness.

Rob is usually not one to ask for help, but he has accepted that help is part of healing. He has been placed on long-term disability and he could use our help to cover medical costs. The base dosage of his new migraine treatment alone is $1200. Ongoing therapy three times a week is expensive. His health insurance-related deductible is high and he has been denied other coverage for new medicines and therapies.

Every cent of every dollar raised will go toward covering medical costs to help get Rob back up on his feet again. Please consider a donation to help a friend who has always had our back in the hockey world.