Honor Adam with a contribution

Heartbreaking Update:

Adam passed on from this world on Tuesday morning, April 23rd, in the loving company of his wife Robin, his mother Diane, and his father Len. After a four year battle with this relentless tumor we can take the slightest solace knowing that Adam is free and no longer in pain.

Donations to help Adam's wife Robin ease the burden of her loss are deeply appreciated.

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Adam Rubenstein, aka, Ruby – the nicest, most generous, hardest working guy, has had a terribly shitty 4 years battling a dripping brain tumor. #notfair


Adam, being the incredibly humble man he is, hesitates to ask, so we his friends and colleagues and fans who want to see him return to health and joy and love and contributing to this world are stepping up to gather assistance from his community. Adam and his wife Robin need our help to focus more on the long road to recovery and less on the sizable financial stress incurred by two major surgeries,  many months of hospital and rehab stays, additional homecare needs and the devastating hit to life and livelihood that takes its toll. #cancersucks


If you are busy, love Adam and would like to help Adam and Robin obtain the best possible care for his recovery please just hop onto the Donate button below and think of your favorite Adam moment when you fill in the amount :) #makeitmatter #love


 For those of you want to know the details here is what we can share:

 
Battle #1:

 In 2014 Adam finally uncovered the source of his excruciating back pain – an ependymoma tumor embedded in his spine, originating at the brain stem.  #OMFG


After exhaustive research on this very rare cancer, surgery was deemed the best option and Adam underwent a 7 hour operation. The results were encouraging, but the road was daunting. Adam spent 3 weeks at Good Samaritan Hospital and another 4 weeks recovering at St. Anthony’s Rehab. It was rough going—painful, frightening and humbling as Adam learned to walk again and gain enough functionality to return home and then endure months of radiation of the brain and spine. #fortitude


Through 2017 Adam had repeated MRIs showing no new growth and Adam went back to his menschy ways without wasting any time—launching a new joint replacement company, spending time with Robin and helping everyone he could. #everydayisagift


Battle #2:

 
Fast forward to Spring of 2018 when Adam faced an abrupt decline and shockingly learned he needed to endure another surgery to debulk the tumor compressing his spine and go back down the long road of surgery, rehab and recovery. Life got worse for Adam with a few frightening seizure episodes that appear as strokes and additional setbacks, which delayed and depleted his inpatient rehab. #shit

 
As of Aug 12th, Adam has rinsed, washed and repeated this painful, debilitating cycle of surgery –> hospitalization –> rehab. Now, after three months of being under the fluorescent glow of a medical facility Adam is home again. Adam is making slow and steady progress reclaiming his self sufficiency with the support of the amazing team at Craig Hospital where they specialize in recovery from spinal injury. With every PT session, Adam get's a bit stronger. #progress
 
Prognosis:

 
During the most recent surgery the tumor was deeply entangled in the spinal column but the surgeons were able to resect nearly 100%. This very invasive surgery has caused injury to the spine leaving Adam currently unable to walk, and managing significant pain. Adam is doing intensive PT every day and the next 6 to 9 months will reveal how much lower body mobility will be recovered. #toughgoing

 
What now? 

 
For now, Adam is home, enjoying being with Robin and his father Len, considering his professional options, receiving outpatient Physical and Occupational Therapy and doing an excellent job being his guru-ish optimistic self. Adam currently requires a lot of support at home and he and Robin are looking into homecare to make life manageable which unfortunately is not covered by insurance. 

 


Adam is the guy who worked as hard as he could on whatever project he was running, whatever event helped his community. Adam has always found a way to help his friends with their deck, their research and their personal issues. This man does not quit contributing – it’s his personal mission. 
 

Adam has helped so many of us and would never let us ask for help if it wasn’t truly necessary for his optimal recovery. 
 

We are trying to raise $55K (the costs are far higher) so that Adam can focus on getting the very best available care and not a compounding debt load for he and Robin. #WeAreAdam’sVillage

 

Thank You for caring- 

Robin Olson, Dave Rogers, Craig Hanson, Teresa Hanson, Jeff Bojar, Kevin McGarvey, Jody Shepherd, Jerry Dismukes, Dan Shea, Jim Fogg, Bill Iglewsky, Kevin Cawley,  and You.