Urgent Help Needed for Rob Graham
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Rob Graham, our beloved friend and coach, is in URGENT need of help. Rob has beaten the odds for so many years, but now a year after the passing of his dad, he and his mom are experiencing DESPERATE times!
Recently, Rob developed an eye problem so he came to the clinic to see Elias for an evaluation. It was during this visit, that we learned for the first time, the severity of their situation. Rob and his mom are on the verge of foreclosure. In fact, if it wasn't for the moratorium on foreclosures due to coronavirus, they might be homeless already. And, time is running out quickly.
Rob has been completely disabled for the past 16 years after sustaining an anoxic brain injury from a sudden cardiac arrest. His mom and dad, Linda and Joe Kelley, dedicated their lives to Rob's health and well-being. Rob has survived far longer than all of his doctors ever expected, in large part because of Joe and Linda's efforts. They were doing well until Joe was diagnosed with cancer in 2018.
Linda did everything she could to care for Rob while also helping Joe with his cancer treatments. Joe could no longer help with Rob's care, and in fact required extensive home care himself. Rob and Joe both needed almost full-time care, well beyond what Linda could provide alone. And the medical expenses between the two continued to climb. Without Joe's income, their life savings and retirement funds were quickly depleted. Unfortunately, Joe passed away in May 2020, almost exactly one year ago.
Since Joe's passing, Linda has continued to make sure Rob is well taken care of and receives all his necessary treatments. She has scraped together just enough to manage the necessities. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough to cover the mortgage and manage the home. And they have no money left. THEY NEED OUR HELP!
Sean Fitzgerald, Owen Busch, and Elias Mavrofrides (all close friends and teammates from BMCHS Class of 1990) are stepping in to help Rob and Linda rectify the situation and ensure that Rob continues to have a stable living situation with the medical care required for his condition. No donation is too small. Anything you can contribute is greatly appreciated.
And we want to take a moment to THANK EVERYONE...for all that you have done for Rob over the years and certainly for anything you can do to help him again. WE CANNOT THANK YOU ALL ENOUGH!
If you want to know more about ROB'S FULL STORY please keep reading below.
Rob Graham attended Bishop Moore Catholic High School between 1986 and 1990. He was a star basketball player throughout his years at BMCHS and was one of several standout basketball players on a Hornet squad that won a district title for BMCHS in 1990. That special team suffered a heartbreaking loss by just one point in the final seconds of the Regional finals that year.
Rob went on to play basketball in college and soon after followed his passion for coaching. Although Rob was a great player, he was an even better coach destined for greatness. In 1998, Head Coach Steve Ridder at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University tapped Rob to be his assistant coach. During his seven-year tenure at ERAU, Rob would help deliver ERAU’s first men’s basketball national championship in 2000.
In 2004, Rob would return to BMCHS as the head basketball coach and PE teacher. He had come full circle to lead his alma mater to prominence again!
In 2005, Rob’s first season as head coach at BMCHS, he led the Hornets to the district championship game against Eustis. This was the same scenario Rob experienced as a player for BMCHS’s district championship squad in 1990. During the first minute of play, Rob fell to the floor in sudden and unexpected cardiac arrest; his heart stopped, and after what seemed like a lifetime was transported to the hospital. Rob had no history of heart problems and was quite healthy until that day.
As a result of his injuries, he slipped into a coma. After 33 days in a vegetative state, he finally awoke on Good Friday. Rob survived but now faced a lifetime of physical and cognitive challenges as a result of an acute anoxic brain injury caused by his sudden cardiac arrest experienced during that game.
Rob's competitive spirit and blue-collar work ethic has enabled him to beat incredible odds and he continues to battle every day with the same positive attitude, perseverance and leadership he displayed as a basketball player, coach and leader. As stated above, few experts expected Rob to survive beyond 5 years from the incident. With the tireless care of his parent's, Rob has survived for more than 16 years since that tragic day.
But, Rob continues to face many challenges. He is mostly wheelchair bound, only able to stand with assistance, but unable to walk. His long-term memory is still good, but his short term memory is very limited. He still has useful central vision but he has almost no peripheral vision. He struggles with occasional seizures, poor lung function, and of course numerous cardiac issues.
Rob's needs far exceed his resources, especially financially, after all of these years. The loss of his father Joe last year just tipped this imbalance even further; to a level that has been truly overwhelming. Without our help they have very few options, and this is why we pray you can join us in helping Rob. Any donation is greatly appreciated. And, we will make sure that the money raised goes to stabilize Rob's living situation and help his ongoing care. Thank you again for your interest in this great cause! Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
Recently, Rob developed an eye problem so he came to the clinic to see Elias for an evaluation. It was during this visit, that we learned for the first time, the severity of their situation. Rob and his mom are on the verge of foreclosure. In fact, if it wasn't for the moratorium on foreclosures due to coronavirus, they might be homeless already. And, time is running out quickly.
Rob has been completely disabled for the past 16 years after sustaining an anoxic brain injury from a sudden cardiac arrest. His mom and dad, Linda and Joe Kelley, dedicated their lives to Rob's health and well-being. Rob has survived far longer than all of his doctors ever expected, in large part because of Joe and Linda's efforts. They were doing well until Joe was diagnosed with cancer in 2018.
Linda did everything she could to care for Rob while also helping Joe with his cancer treatments. Joe could no longer help with Rob's care, and in fact required extensive home care himself. Rob and Joe both needed almost full-time care, well beyond what Linda could provide alone. And the medical expenses between the two continued to climb. Without Joe's income, their life savings and retirement funds were quickly depleted. Unfortunately, Joe passed away in May 2020, almost exactly one year ago.
Since Joe's passing, Linda has continued to make sure Rob is well taken care of and receives all his necessary treatments. She has scraped together just enough to manage the necessities. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough to cover the mortgage and manage the home. And they have no money left. THEY NEED OUR HELP!
Sean Fitzgerald, Owen Busch, and Elias Mavrofrides (all close friends and teammates from BMCHS Class of 1990) are stepping in to help Rob and Linda rectify the situation and ensure that Rob continues to have a stable living situation with the medical care required for his condition. No donation is too small. Anything you can contribute is greatly appreciated.
And we want to take a moment to THANK EVERYONE...for all that you have done for Rob over the years and certainly for anything you can do to help him again. WE CANNOT THANK YOU ALL ENOUGH!
If you want to know more about ROB'S FULL STORY please keep reading below.
Rob Graham attended Bishop Moore Catholic High School between 1986 and 1990. He was a star basketball player throughout his years at BMCHS and was one of several standout basketball players on a Hornet squad that won a district title for BMCHS in 1990. That special team suffered a heartbreaking loss by just one point in the final seconds of the Regional finals that year.
Rob went on to play basketball in college and soon after followed his passion for coaching. Although Rob was a great player, he was an even better coach destined for greatness. In 1998, Head Coach Steve Ridder at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University tapped Rob to be his assistant coach. During his seven-year tenure at ERAU, Rob would help deliver ERAU’s first men’s basketball national championship in 2000.
In 2004, Rob would return to BMCHS as the head basketball coach and PE teacher. He had come full circle to lead his alma mater to prominence again!
In 2005, Rob’s first season as head coach at BMCHS, he led the Hornets to the district championship game against Eustis. This was the same scenario Rob experienced as a player for BMCHS’s district championship squad in 1990. During the first minute of play, Rob fell to the floor in sudden and unexpected cardiac arrest; his heart stopped, and after what seemed like a lifetime was transported to the hospital. Rob had no history of heart problems and was quite healthy until that day.
As a result of his injuries, he slipped into a coma. After 33 days in a vegetative state, he finally awoke on Good Friday. Rob survived but now faced a lifetime of physical and cognitive challenges as a result of an acute anoxic brain injury caused by his sudden cardiac arrest experienced during that game.
Rob's competitive spirit and blue-collar work ethic has enabled him to beat incredible odds and he continues to battle every day with the same positive attitude, perseverance and leadership he displayed as a basketball player, coach and leader. As stated above, few experts expected Rob to survive beyond 5 years from the incident. With the tireless care of his parent's, Rob has survived for more than 16 years since that tragic day.
But, Rob continues to face many challenges. He is mostly wheelchair bound, only able to stand with assistance, but unable to walk. His long-term memory is still good, but his short term memory is very limited. He still has useful central vision but he has almost no peripheral vision. He struggles with occasional seizures, poor lung function, and of course numerous cardiac issues.
Rob's needs far exceed his resources, especially financially, after all of these years. The loss of his father Joe last year just tipped this imbalance even further; to a level that has been truly overwhelming. Without our help they have very few options, and this is why we pray you can join us in helping Rob. Any donation is greatly appreciated. And, we will make sure that the money raised goes to stabilize Rob's living situation and help his ongoing care. Thank you again for your interest in this great cause! Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
Co-organisers (3)
Elias Mavrofrides
Organiser
Lake Mary, FL
Sean Fitzgerald
Co-organiser
Owen Busch
Co-organiser