Help Hope Live for Robert B Tilley

Robert “Bob” Tilley valiantly fought against Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) after being diagnosed in 2021. There is no cure for IPF, and the cause is unknown. Bob’s battle with the illness may have had something to do with his being deployed to Turkey (a few miles from the Iraq border), Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm while he served in the Air Force.
As the disease progressed, his lung function declined, breathing became very difficult, and he became easily tired. His exercise capacity became extremely limited. Just walking a few yards caused him to become out of breath. Eventually, he also lost weight since he hardly had an appetite.
As his condition rapidly deteriorated in July 2024, he was referred for a lung transplant at UF Health Shands Lung Transplant Center in Gainesville, Florida. At the end of September, right after Hurricane Helene, Bob was admitted to Shands hospital by ambulance transfer for 300 miles. He was evaluated for the possibility, but he was too sick to be qualified as a transplant candidate.
Ultimately, he was unable to maintain adequate oxygen levels, even with high-flow oxygen therapy. After battling for three and a half years, Bob passed away in the middle of October 2024.