by Adrienne
You browse the local section of a newspaper & see numerous obituaries written using the phrase, “they lost their battle with cancer”. It’s hard to imagine how anyone that passed away from cancer could've won the battle. Is it even possible? While many would agree that the answer to the question is no, winning the battle with cancer in spite of his death is exactly what my father, Bob Bard, was able to accomplish. On 1/19/10 Dad was diagnosed with Brain Cancer. Healthy all of his life, the diagnosis was a shock. Not only did he have cancer, but he had a Stage IV Glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer. At the age of 48, this was incomprehensible. Throughout his initial hospitalization, Dad was overwhelmed by the generosity of our family & friends. Everyday people would flock to his room with food, cards, flowers, DVD’s, & most importantly, love & laughter to share. You would've never guessed that the room was filled with people that were just given news of a cancer diagnosis. Cancer Did Not Win Upon release from the hospital, he was back to work functioning at the highest level he could. Dad’s deficits involved math, telling time, & speech. This was especially hard because Dad worked with numbers in his job. A month before Dad passed away, his bosses awarded him with a certificate of achievement & a letter commending him on his performance, work ethic, & rapport with clients over the years, most importantly the last year. This was one of Dad’s proudest accomplishments. Cancer Did Not Win. On 12/19/10 mom was awakened by their English Bulldog Meatball, a loveable dog that's more interested in finding a good spot on the sofa than playing fetch. But on this night, he woke mom up by frantically barking in her ear. Mom instantly got out of bed knowing that something must be wrong. About 30 seconds later Dad started having his first seizure. While the seizure required Dad to go to the hospital, we feel very blessed that Meatball sensed the seizure & was able to warn Mom. To many in our town Meatball is a hero. Dad was able to get incredibly fast care by emergency personnel as a result of Meatball. Cancer Did Not Win. Once Dad was back in the hospital, the scans were showing growth of the old tumor. We knew it wouldn’t be long & wanted to take care of him the best way we knew how. It was our mission to be as strong as Dad & carry on with his persevering attitude even at a time when we felt more defeated than ever. This particular hospitalization was tough because we were there over Christmas. To our surprise, it didn't prevent visitors from flooding his room. We had an amazing Christmas day & were able to find so many things to be thankful for. Cancer Did Not Win. On 1/15/11 Dad passed away surrounded by family. We were thankful that throughout his illness the cancer only disrupted his life in minor ways. To others this may not have been the case, but to Dad, he was going to push on no matter what. While everyone else was questioning why this was happening, that it was not fair, not once did Dad ask those questions. Dad always exemplified what it meant to be strong. I found it strange that we often leaned on Dad to provide comfort to us, when it should have been the other way around. But, that is who he was, & who we will always remember him to be. Cancer Did Not Win. After losing Dad, we participated in The Race for Hope–DC to raise money for brain tumor awareness & research. Our team, was able to raise over $17,000. Cancer Did Not Win. After finishing the race in DC, we decided to organize an event in our hometown. Our family’s goal is to rally behind this cause to raise as much money & awareness as possible in honor of Dad & others battling brain tumors. The first annual Bob Bard 5K will be held in June. We are so excited for this event & can’t wait to meet others that share a passion for this great cause.
