ROW BOB ROW!!!!! My gosh, is he still alive and rowing? YES , he is!! For those of you who may not know Bob, here is a little background. Bob Lynch was diagnosed with Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia (WM) in June of 95. He was 47 yrs. old at the time and working as a Hearing Officer for the Florida's Dept. of Labor. With no symptoms, the diagnosis of cancer and the prognosis of 3 to 7 years to live were simply unacceptable. He and his wife Sue decided that in the past many "great things " turned out to be less than great and many "disastrous things" turned out not nearly as bad as first thought. So why prejudge this new event. They chose rather to be observers of life and see what God had in store. Bob's first reaction to the diagnosis was " I just can't wait to see the good that's going to come out of this." Bob experienced 18 months of chemo. Bob decided he needed a rest from all this medical attention and went AWOL from treatment in Dec. of 96. It was time to try some alternative methods of healing including meditation, diet, reduced stress and rowing. Yup, rowing. Bob loves the water and he found the exercise of sliding seat rowing was very relaxing and also a great exercise to build the body and the lungs back from chemo.
This love of rowing led Bob & Sue to the first "Either Oar, Cancer Survivor Row" in 1998, when he rowed his little 15' boat named "Prosperity" from Key West, Fl. to Miami, Fl. a trip of 150 miles.Through donations (mostly by the mile) they raised approx. $ 30,000. for WM research. As Bob finished this journey, one of the first questions he was asked was " what's next?" Bob later said he really had no idea how to answer that question, since he figured "the row" was going to kill him. But there was a next.
In the year 2000 Bob & Sue celebrated continued good health with Either Oar II. 200 miles for Y2K. Bob put his new 15'boat named "Attitude" in the water in Melbourne Fl. The reason for this location was to allow Bob's mom the thrill of pushing the boat away from the dock at the age of 93. Bob rowed for 9 days, arriving in Miami to the cheers of hundreds of well-wishers and believers that anything is possible. There was much champagne and fireworks through the evening celebrating life and raising approx. $30,000. Once again for WM research. This time it was a question from the media… "What's next?"
Two years of preparation and continued good health brought about Either Oar III, this found Bob and 9 other crazy people rowing across the state of Florida. Starting in Stuart, Fl. on the east coast, the trip covered the St. Lucie Canal, 5 locks, Lake Okeechobee, the Caloosahatchee River and 185 miles before arriving in Ft. Myers, Fl. The incredible amount of work Sue did in the pre-row provided a celebration with hundreds of well wishers on both land and water. WM research was the recipient of approx. $35,000. Sponsors, including a very large Budweiser truck, provided a party that was not to be soon forgotten. We made it almost through the whole party before it happened. A TV interviewer asked the question "What's next?" By now he was prepared, and told him the next area to row will be the Gulf Coast of Florida. Well, anyone who knows what hurricanes have done to the Gulf Coast over the past 2 years will understand why he finally has given in and changed the next row to a different area.
FINALLY, A NEW PLAN. The beginning of June will find Bob putting his new 15' boat, named "Inner Voice" into the water in Melbourne, Fl. and rowing north to Jacksonville, Fl.. a trip of approximately 200 miles. The universe works in wonderful ways. Bob's Igm (protein) counts have continued to rise and are currently around 7000, (normal is 50-200). Bob was thinking of taking a little "down-time" to just work on his golf game but he heard a song by a group called Devotion. The words are as follows: "Do all you can with what you have, in the time you have, in the place you are, do all you can." With those words bouncing around in his head, Either Oar IV has been born.
You can be a part of this adventure by donating by the mile, i.e. .50 per mile = $100.00, $1.00 per mile =$200.00 etc. Maybe, just making a flat donation of whatever your heart dictates.
Checks can be made out to IWMF (INTERNATIONAL WALDENSTROM'S MACROGLOBULINEMIA FOUNDATION) and either mailed to IWMF at 3932D Swift Rd. Sarasota, Fl. 34231-6541 or dropped off at, or mailed to Bob & Sue's place at Pelican Pointe. Those computer types can also donate at www.IWMF.comhttp://www.IWMF.com and go to contributions.
You can contact Bob& Sue at rowbobrow@yahoo.com <mailto:rowbobrow@yahoo.com>, or call them at 772-388-6417 or 305-978-5937. Their current address is 9632 Riverside Dr. #1 Sebastian Fl. 32958.
Sue was in a car accident Dec. 26 and is still doing therapy for a broken knee cap. Bob will be doing his training in this area while Sue is recovering.
Remember, this could be the year, which we find that cure. So keep those special words bouncing around in your head."DO ALL YOU CAN WITH WHAT YOU HAVE,IN THE TIME YOU HAVE,IN THE PLACE YOU ARE,DO ALL YOU CAN." "I promise that I will do all I can and hope you will help me in this effort."...Bob Lynch.
