Gary: I saw this lovely quote of
yours on the Web which says, “My
grandmother, Peg Helper, had breast
cancer and I watched her fight it
for almost 20 years. Through it all,
my grandfather was so supportive,
which inspired me; every man should
approach this disease with the same
dignity.” I thought that was a great
way to talk about the challenges of
male caregivers. Any advice or any
points you want to make?
Rob: When talking specifically about
male caregivers, it makes me think
of my grandmother, and the husbands
who are caring for their wives,
mothers or their daughters; and I
can just remember the amazing way my
grandfather would just love my
grandmother as a “woman,” and not
just as a patient. That can be
really, really hard. That’s really
critical, because I remember when my
grandmother came home with a wig, my
grandfather kept telling her how
beautiful she looked in her new wig…
that kind of stuff, that man and
woman stuff, you’ve got to try to
keep alive.
Gary: What has stood out the most
for you from your experience?
Rob: People always ask me what this
has been like for me—meeting the
mothers who are fighting disease
while raising their kids, the
fathers who still coach little
league, or go into the office, the
children who fight and never lose
their optimism or hope—they are the
real American heroes.
