Building Memories, One Field at a Time with Robert Kessler

An inspiring story of love, perseverance and the power of
football - Bob Kessler is in awe of where his family was and
where they are now. His son Tyler is a walking medical miracle.
Tyler suffered from kidney failure when he was just four years
old and received a transplant from his grandmother. But, in 2000
he was diagnosed with cancer and his body rejecting the kidney.
Suffering from Post Transplant Lymphatic Disorder, he was the
only child in the U.S who was undergoing chemo and dialysis at
the same time.


But Bob didn't want Tyler's childhood memories to only be
hospitals and doctors. That's why he set a goal to visit every
NFL stadium in the country. Starting the year Tyler was
diagnosed, they traveled the country meeting player after player
and coach after coach. Their story is not only a football fan's
dream, but a lesson to us all to never let our struggle define
our story.


Additional Resources:


Get Involved or Donate to the Make-A-Wish foundation to help
change kids’ lives: https://wish.org/

Read about Tyler’s story in Sports Illustrated:
https://vault.si.com/vault/2005/01/31/the-best-medicine

Support the National Kidney Foundation:
https://www.kidney.org/donation

Listen to More Revenue Builders:
https://www.forcemanagement.com/revenue-builders-podcast



HIGHLIGHTS


Introducing Bob Kessler

Tyler’s background and story

Staying positive through the tough times

Making tough decisions with your destination in mind

Visiting stadiums with Tyler

The value of being made to feel like you belong

Stories from inside the NFL locker rooms and buses

Focusing on what you can do, not what you can't

Advice for people facing challenges

Community is more important than you realize



QUOTES


Bob - Remaining positive: “I will tell you, my wife and I,
we agreed at a very early part of this journey that there's no
complaining, there is no asking why? Because there's no answer
there. All we know is what we can do.”


Bob - Building community: “At first, you may be like, Hey,
I don't need that. That's what we said, but give it a shot, and
try to network and learn from others. You know, we learned a lot
from families who have gone through, you know, you meet families
in the hospital, who are going through similar challenges, some
worse, and we've learned a lot by observing and talking to folks
and sharing our story, and, what's the best way to work through
all these challenges.”