BOB FARINA, THE FIGHT OF A LIFETIME

A Time To Be Brave

When life delivered a character-defining moment, Bob rose to the occasion in a way that should give us all pause for thought. Be inspired by his story.

SERVICES HIGHLIGHTED IN THIS STORY: SKILLED NURSING, WELLNESS CENTER

In 2016, Bob Farina and his wife had just finished dinner with friends. They were waiting for their car from the valet when his wife, out of nowhere, asks: “Are you drunk?” He was not. But by the time they arrived home, it was plain; something was very wrong.

They drove straight to the hospital to learn Bob had experienced a stroke. In the course of that night, he would have two more. A bi-lateral brain stem stroke left Bob on life support and unable to move below his neck. He was 63 years old.

Bob founded a company that created marketing for film releases such as Twilight and The Lorax. His company had been through difficult times, but nothing could have prepared him for this. For this battle, all the resilience and determination in the world would only require more.

Bob lived in a trail of facilities immediately after his stroke. His opinion: “you go there, basically, to die.” Most were all too quick to tell him what he would never do. Then Bob was notified: a space had opened at the Mary Pickford House for longterm care on the MPTF campus. His tone is grateful: “You come here; you come here to live.” After weaning himself off medical supports, then relearning how to speak—nothing short of miraculous, Bob had a goal: to walk again.

“You come here to live.”

-BOB FARINA 

The Wellness Center, with physical therapists, trainers, extensive equipment, and a pool is where you’ll find Bob six days a week, training under the encouraging guidance of Diana Byrne, Saban’s Manager. “Bob is personally very inspirational for me. He never says no, and I know there are some days when he doesn’t feel good. I’ve never met anyone with more drive than Bob. Who am I to say he can’t do this?”

Bob is now able to stand with support. He works every day for hard-fought progress towards his goal. He enjoys time with his son, dinner out with friends, honing his cognitive skills, and reclaiming every bit of normalcy because “it makes you feel like you’re not disabled.” Tiffany Lawrence, Bob’s social worker describes him as “the most determined man you’ll ever meet.” Did he ever predict he would find himself here? And if he had, would he have ever imagined himself so thankful for a sunny room down a hall from dozens of others, with nursing stations in between, and a meditation garden to linger in on the way to the gym? He responds stoically and resolute, “You’ve just got to deal with it.”

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