Last Updated on 09/22/2019 by Mark Beckenbach
Let’s help photographer Bob Croslin get the best chance at recovery from another round of chemotherapy by supporting this GoFundMe campaign.
Some of you may already be aware of Florida-based commercial and editorial photographer Bob Croslin‘s battle with cancer since last year, for which he has gone through six months of treatment. Unfortunately, he’s back in the hospital for another round of chemotherapy, so friends have started to show their support through a GoFundMe campaign. They’re hoping that the rest of the photography community can also pitch in to give him the best chance at recovery so he can keep shooting.
“You’ve probably known about this for a while now, but I’m here to tell you he’s back in the hospital for yet another round of chemo,” Michael Rubenstein wrote for the fundraiser he organized for Bob Croslin. “It’s got to the point where he’s selling gear to pay for his medical bills and honestly, that sucks.”
Michael also reminds us that Bob has been around in the photo industry for a good long time, and of course, we’d like to see more years added to that. Bob’s work has appeared in and been recognized by several big publications and brands, including the Smithsonian, Sports Illustrated, Time, ESPN, Men’s Fitness, American Photography, PDN, and Fast Company. Through this campaign, Michael and the rest of Bob’s friends are looking to raise as much as possible in support of Bob and his family.
Aside from being an award-winning photographer and director, Bob has also been a competitive cyclist for many years. In a June 2019 Bicyling.com feature, he shared with friend and author Robert Browman how he’s battled his illness over the past year, beginning with a ride which made him realize that “something wasn’t right.”
“It didn’t take doctors long to figure it out: acute myeloid leukemia, a fast and hard-charging monster that can kill a person in mere months,” he said of his visit to the doctor in September 2018. “I was 47 years old, fit, and healthy, so how could I be dying? A month earlier I had been in Oahu, Hawaii, working on a documentary film, and now I was laying in a hospital bed wondering if I’d live.”
Because he was, in the doctor’s words, “young and fit because you ride,” the course of action was to “hit you as hard as we can with chemotherapy.” While this wasn’t by any means easy to hear, the doctor’s optimism led Bob to believe that he was strong enough for the fight. While he faced “seven weeks of pure hell” before he was able to start recovering, Bob also found strength in the pack mentality and support of the Tampa Bay cycling community.
Now, with another round of chemotherapy at hand, Bob needs all the support and motivation he can get. We hope the photography community can also give him the strength and best chance at a speedy recovery through this GoFundMe campaign.
Photo from the GoFundMe campaign