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Phil Herring

Alien
Mar 25, 1997
4,918
- - Bainbridge Island
I got a call from Rodd himself, which I wasn't expecting and managed to miss. But he did leave a voicemail which I will pass along to you:

- Rodd's speech, which I had been told was really bad, was actually quite good. He sounded like Rodd, albeit a little weaker but easily understandable and with no noticeable problem finding words.

- He sounded down -- deflated might be the right word -- and worried, as would be expected.

- He said he is paralyzed on one side. I know stroke symptoms like this can change with time and physical therapy, but if there's a doctor here who can shed some light on how to gauge stroke recovery prognosis, that would be most helpful.

- His business is shut down for at least the time being. Whether that comes back or not will depend on his recovery.

- He's looking at months of rehab and therapy, and he is worried about how his family will afford that without going bankrupt.

- Peggie contacted me last week to suggest a Go Fund Me for Rodd's recovery, but from what his brother said I didn't think it was necessary. I do now though, after this call. I believe Rodd is insured but even the good policies put caps on residential rehab facilities, and they are extremely expensive.

- If there's anyone who has created a Go Fund Me please contact me either through PM or our support center. We're up for doing it here but help and insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.


[ edited Oct. 29 to add ]

These is also a Donate option on the front page of Rodd's website. Marine How To - DIY for Boaters - Marine How To
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,321
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Phil, Thank you for the update. It is good hear that Rodd is able to speak on the phone and not have any apparent word finding issues.

I'm not an MD, however back in grad school I did take several Neuropsych courses, so take my comments with that understanding. It is difficult to predict long term stroke outcomes without knowing the location and extent of the damage to the brain. Speaking very broadly in a stroke some brain cells die and some have their functioning impaired due to pressure from the bleed or swelling. The faster the swelling can be relieved and the bleeding stopped, the better the long term outcome. And obviously, the more localized the stroke, the less loss of function there will be.

Rodd has been a huge influence on many of us. The other day I was dealing with a wiring issue on my boat. The last mechanic had arranged cables in a way that Rodd certainly would not approve of. As I looked at my rework of the job, I found myself wondering what Rodd would think of my solution. Not sure, I'm brave enough to send photos. ;)
 

SFS

.
Aug 18, 2015
2,065
Currently Boatless Okinawa
@Phil Herring - Did he mention anything about getting his boat out of the water and/or winterized? It has to be getting cold up there by now. Does he have friends or family working on that? Does he need the help of our community on that front as well?
 

Phil Herring

Alien
Mar 25, 1997
4,918
- - Bainbridge Island
No, he didn't say anything about that. I was listening for it, as I saw the discussion.
 

Joe

.
Jun 1, 2004
7,999
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
Thank you for the real time update, Phil. Rod is such a treasure to this group.
 
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Nov 6, 2006
9,884
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
Thanks for the update, Phil. Definitely hope that he continues to improve.
Wondering if there is a case to fund Rod's DIY website thru the forum? He has given us a treasure .
 
Jun 7, 2016
315
Catalina C30 Warwick, RI
I would definitely be more than willing to contribute to a Go Fund Me for him if someone sets it up! Also like Kloudie1 said I would also contribute to keeping his website up and running. Rodd's information has been more than instrumental for me doing a full refit on my boat. I would love to make sure that his wealth of knowledge is preserved to help other's for years and years to come. I am praying for his full recovery and look forward to seeing him back on the forum.

As a side note, has anyone posted this on CF? There is a much larger crowd source that I am sure would be willing to help out on both fronts.
 
Jun 7, 2016
315
Catalina C30 Warwick, RI
@Phil Herring - Did he mention anything about getting his boat out of the water and/or winterized? It has to be getting cold up there by now. Does he have friends or family working on that? Does he need the help of our community on that front as well?
I am in Mass and if he needs help, I am only a 2 or 3 hour drive away to be able to go help winterize his boat/s.
 
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SFS

.
Aug 18, 2015
2,065
Currently Boatless Okinawa
Several folks near him have expressed this sentiment. I'm a bit far away in Florida, but I would think two or three bodies could get it done in a day or two. IIRC, the boat is on a mooring in the summer, and he hauls out for the winter. I guess we need contact info.

@Phil Herring - do you have a phone number or email, other than business, since that is likely not being checked right now.
 

dLj

.
Mar 23, 2017
3,372
Belliure 41 Sailing back to the Chesapeake
I am in Mass and if he needs help, I am only a 2 or 3 hour drive away to be able to go help winterize his boat/s.
I may be more than a 2 or 3 hour drive away, but I can and will make the time to go and help winterize his boat if need be. Just let us know.

dj
 
Mar 20, 2015
3,094
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
I would also contribute to keeping his website up and running.
Both sites are currently archived at archive.org.



Apparently they were popular enough that their system has been archiving them for a while

FWIW Archive.org does a fairly good job cloning sites, but they aren't perfect.

I wish there was a way to keep the sales side of his website running, even if his direct advice wasn't available in the short term. That would keep his income going, in addition to any donations.

If I was in his shoes I would welcome the chance to do something that may help with rehab and keep from feeling down.(maybe creating articles with the help of others, or something)

Based on your post,.hopefully he may be able to direct things while others do the heavy lifting.
If his cognitive skills are even half of what they were before the stroke, he is probably still smarter than most. I envision a sailing Stephen Hawking in a wheelchair doing his thing, directing a helper or two.

Hopefully someone lives nearby and can lend a hand keeping his company running, even just part time.

Looking forward to the GoFundMe page.
 
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Mar 20, 2015
3,094
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
I kind of like that analogy. The mind is a great thing to use. And Rod has a great mind for this kind of stuff.
Exactly. At the end of the day, possibly being in a chair isn't a show stopper. Especially in today's world.
Unless Rod was a professional tango dancer on the side.;)

Hopefully he can recover from partial paralysis. I have seen it personally.
 
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Sep 23, 2009
1,475
O'Day 34-At Last Rock Hall, Md
I was told go fund me takes a significant cut of the funds for themselves but there are other sites that do not. Anyone know which or how about straight donation to his store? Godspeed to him.
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,708
- - LIttle Rock
I was told go fund me takes a significant cut of the funds for themselves but there are other sites that do not. Anyone know which or how about straight donation to his store? Godspeed to him.
According to the GoFundMe website, they take 2.9% + $.30 of each donation to benefit individuals. I could not find another donation site that doesn't charge considerably more.


--Peggie