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.”