Woonona man Robb Grubb is hitting the road for a 16,000km journey to promote the cause of “being a Barry”.
Mr Grubb’s friend since their teens, Thirroul resident David Lamb, 52, has stage four melanoma cancer.
Mr Lamb was diagnosed last October, and has been largely bed-ridden in recent months.
He said the prognosis was currently unclear, but he is scheduled to resume immunotherapy treatment on Thursday.
Mr Lamb said Mr Grubb has “basically dragged me out of my bed every week and taken me somewhere”.
This included taking him hang-gliding and organising for “me to take my daughter out for a holiday to Uluru, just so I could create a memory before things end”.
”It’s just been support – he’s just been there to give me support rather than me just sitting in my room,” Mr Lamb said.
Real estate agent Mr Grubb has taken this initiative a step further, launching a website and social media presence to promote a cause called ‘This Is Livin’ Barry’.
He’ll be hitting the road this Friday in his Kombi van to undertake a 30-day, 16,000km journey around Australia, with a coffin strapped to the back.
Mr Grubb will be sleeping in the coffin, and have canine companion Mater in tow for the trip.
“The purpose is to bring awareness to the website,” Mr Grubb said.
“The website’s about how a ‘Barry’ is a person who’s there for a mate, and getting the mate out of the hospital or out of home.
“As my daughter says, ‘don’t take flowers to your mate, take your mate to the flowers’.
“If I sleep in a coffin for 30 days, then hopefully people don’t have to live in a coffin. Hopefully we keep people alive longer.
“And the coffin draws attention, so it’s going to bring awareness to the website.”
The public can also visit the website to establish a network of ‘Barry Angels’; people who want to “pay it forward and give back” by helping others make memories.
”It’s not just bucket list (items),” Mr Grubb said.
“It might be something nice you want to do. Just cook for them, or take them out of the house for a walk on the beach every day.”
Mr Lamb said his friend is “crazy” for undertaking such a trip, but believed it would attract attention to the cause.
”It’s about awareness for other people to get out there and do things for their friends,” he said.
“Because there’s so many people out there with cancer and depression, and they just get left alone. They isolate themselves and that’s it.”
More details here.
