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Donations for Robert Lancaster & Family

Friend of Skepchick and all-around fantastic dude Robert Lancaster is making small steps of progress in the days following his stroke. His lovely wife Susan has posted updates on the JREF forum, most recently this:

Before I left, I spent several minutes (maybe 20) alone with Robert. His right eye was about half open and his left was open just a slit the whole time. He was looking around, appearing to assess everything around him, including me. He still has the ventilator, so he can’t even try to talk. But he held my hand and squeezed it many times. He squeezed Jim’s hand as well, which pleased Jim. He also held hands with his best buddy, John, today – which made John a little uncomfortable. They don’t hold hands, you see. But it’s the only way Robert can express his gratitude to people.

So, a little more alert for a longer period. Waking up is a tough job! He seems to be having a little difficulty swallowing. Luckily he is on a continuous feed directly into his tummy. But saliva is difficult for him to manage, so they suction still. And he doesn’t like that at all.

Slightly better than yesterday. I’ll take slightly better. That’s fine with me.

A number of you asked in the previous thread how you could help — well, some fellow skeptical friends have kindly set up a PayPal drive for Robert and his family, to help with medical costs. I encourage you all to chip in and show the Lancasters some love!

Rebecca Watson

Rebecca is a writer, speaker, YouTube personality, and unrepentant science nerd. In addition to founding and continuing to run Skepchick, she hosts Quiz-o-Tron, a monthly science-themed quiz show and podcast that pits comedians against nerds. There is an asteroid named in her honor. Twitter @rebeccawatson Mastodon mstdn.social/@rebeccawatson Instagram @actuallyrebeccawatson TikTok @actuallyrebeccawatson YouTube @rebeccawatson BlueSky @rebeccawatson.bsky.social

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3 Comments

  1. I met Robert very briefly at TAM 5.5. He was just a wonderful person. Impossible to dislike. I gave what I could and may be able to give more later.

    Rebecca, please keep us posted on his progress.

  2. There has been a lot of research done recently on brain plasticity and the ability of the brain to put tasks in new areas of the brain. It is a fascinating thing, and it was originally believed to be impossible for a brain to relearn things after a section has been destroyed. This new research gives me hope for everyone that has suffered some sort of brain damage.
    I wish Robert and his family the best. I would donate, but I am just a poor college student, and can’t really afford to donate much…

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