Many readers of Telehealth and Telecare Aware will join our editors in sending condolences to the family of Bob Pyke, who died on Sunday 24th January 2016. (Obituary and condolences link here.)
Bob’s enthusiastic promotion of all things telehealth by linking to relevant articles online pre-dated TTA by many years. A Google search of his name will show up thousands of items and associations to which he was linked. He continued to post articles to his Facebook page up until last November, despite the debilitating effects of his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or motor neurone disease (MND) as it is known in the UK.
In July 2014 he announced his illness with typical frankness and simplicity “I wish I could write as well as Danny Sands who recently wrote about his own health experiences, my writing style is a cross between Monty Python and Mark Twain. On this past Friday, I was diagnosed with ALS. I am blessed to have a loving family and friends who support me and encouraged me to keep a journal about my changed life.”
Bob was a nurse and the humanity which led him into that profession always shone through: “Since being diagnosed with ALS, I am not a patient with ALS, I am a person who has ALS.” Nor did he shrink from noting some of the more difficult aspects of his illness “…living with ALS or dying is the most singular and solitary experience one undergoes.”
Ten years ago Bob and I collaborated on setting up a social networking site for community nurses. Unfortunately it did not get past the early stages but it was always a pleasure working with him. Looking back through my emails I see that I once described Bob to a colleague as “a long term avid sniffer out of news”. I think he’d have liked that.
Bob built up a worldwide network of people interested in nursing and telehealth and he inspired and encouraged them. We will miss him.
Steve Hards
Founder and ex-editor, TTA
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