Bob's Story

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Harmony4Hope Music Festival Founder & Lymphoma Research Foundation Director 16-year follicular lymphoma thriver

“Sixteen years ago, a doctor handed me a report that said I had stage IV follicular lymphoma and

had about seven years left to live. I was so shocked you could have knocked me over with a feather. I thought I was going to die. My local oncologist didn’t know much about lymphoma, and after searching online I found the Lymphoma Research Foundation. I realized I wasn’t alone and that gave me hope for the future.

Through the Foundation, I found a lymphoma specialist and learned about a clinical trial focusing on monoclonal antibody immunotherapy. Fortunately, I responded well to the treatment, and I’ve long surpassed my grim prognosis. When I was first diagnosed, I knew that I wanted to help other lymphoma patients like me. My specialist at the time was a member of the Lymphoma Research Foundation Scientific Advisory Board, and they told me about all the great work the Foundation was doing to serve the lymphoma community. I quickly got involved in their annual Lymphoma Research Ride and eventually joined the Board of Directors.

Fast forward to 2022, when my friend and neighbor John became seriously sick with an unknown illness. After several months of uncertainty, he was finally diagnosed with angiocentric B-cell lymphoma, a rare and aggressive subtype. Even as I sat on the Foundation’s Board, I suddenly felt there was more I personally could do for John and all those impacted by a lymphoma diagnosis. Together with John and several other friends, we created the Harmony4Hope Music Festival. This incredible event seeks to bring people together through the universal language of music and has raised more than $350,000 since we started in 2023—with our third annual festival expected to nearly double our total raised!

I’m so glad to say that John is alive and well today thanks to treatments that were developed by researchers who were funded by the Lymphoma Research Foundation. Really, I should say that John and I are both thriving today because of the generosity of donors who support the Foundation.

Thanks to individual donors, the Foundation invests in the most promising lymphoma research—groundbreaking projects that result in treatments that are more effective, less toxic, and are increasing the life expectancy of those, like John and me, who are living with lymphoma.

In addition to shaping the research landscape, the Foundation is here to educate and support patients and their care partners every step of the way, from diagnosis through remission. Millions of lymphoma patients have been helped by the Lymphoma Research Foundation. Together, we can help millions more, because nobody should have to face lymphoma alone.

I will never stop helping those in need. I have found that doing nothing is simply not an option. Hopefully I can inspire you to join me and make a gift to support the Harmony4Hope music festival and the lymphoma community, today.”

-Bob McAuley, May 2025