NOTE: Robert is a friend to SGT Report and to the fight for liberty. He needs surgery badly, and he needs our help… PLEASE give some $$ to Rob’s Emergency Surgery Fund
from PW Adams:
A Native to the Show-Me-State
Robert Brenner was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. From an early age he showed an interest in art and photography and demonstrated promising talent as early as 16 years old. He then pursued his passions into |  Robert Brenner |
“…his willingness to help others or to provide photos for free had become legendary…”
adulthood and became a professional photographer. Since then he has utilized his God-given talents to capture the beauty and wonder of the world around him. But his skill with a camera was overshadowed by something far more profound, his generosity.
Robert was always using his talents to help others. Not for money or recognition but because he knew it was the right thing to do. During one of these demonstrations of his big heart is when I met Robert.
Robert and I were attending a political event many years ago when we ran into each other. I with my video camera and he with his still shot camera, it was only natural that two artists of the lens would hit it off. Over the years we ran into each other at events and other gatherings and no matter how long it had been since we last shook hands it was always like we had never been apart. His kindness and smile were infections. And his willingness to help others or to provide photos for free had become legendary though most people in the political realm only knew him as “The Camera Guy”.
Eventually, Robert decided he wanted a change of scenery. So one day he told me he was going to uproot and move to Ecuador. Considering the cost of living was cheap, the beautiful culture and landscape of the country, and the fact Ecuador is home to thousands of Americans who had retired there, it was a natural choice for him. And while Robert did find much happiness in Ecuador, sadly tragedy would find him there as well though it was a tragedy that began in his past.
A New Home And A New Love
 Cuenca, Ecuador | In April of 2013 Robert moved to Cuenca, Ecuador and prosperity followed him. Though his greatest success came in August of 2015 when he married his new love, Carina. |
“Just as it seemed things couldn’t get any better their luck began to take a turn for the worse.”
With Carina and her daughter by his side, Robert and his new family went on to make their dreams a reality. Over the years they started two successful businesses. The first was a potato chip company which they were able to sell in order to start their next venture: An Italian pizzeria named after Robert’s mother. The pizzeria was a big hit with many locals and American expatriates. But just as it seemed things couldn’t get any better their luck began to take a turn for the worse and it came in the form of Robert’s health.
Suddenly one day as Robert was trying to tie his shoes he noticed his left hand wasn’t working properly. Tasks that were once easy became difficult and his muscles weren’t working as they once had. These alarming warning signs set Robert on a road of frustration and an even more despairing realization with the limits of Socialized medicine as he sought answers to his medical problems.
The Limits of Socialized Medicine
Ecuador is one of the nations that uses a Universal Healthcare system. And sadly Robert’s sudden deterioration in his health would expose major flaws of Socialized |  Robert’s Go Fund Me Page |
“Over the next 11 months Robert was forced to visit well over a dozen doctors in an effort to figure out why his body was failing him.”
medicine and its many limitations.
Over the next 11 months Robert would be forced to visit well over a dozen doctors in an effort to figure out why his body was failing him. The Socialized Healthcare system in Ecuador shuffled him around from one doctor to another as each one in turn failed to properly diagnose his problem. And with each failed diagnosis another day passed and Robert’s body would waste away that much more.
While there are quality medical professionals in Ecuador they aren’t as numerous as in other nations. And when you add the fact a patient can’t choose their doctors in the Ecuadorian universal healthcare system that combination becomes an almost fatal flaw. That flaw was quickly becoming clear to Robert and his family as each new doctor he was forced to visit either had no answers or outright misdiagnosed him. And the reality that he was older also seemed to play a part in the speed and type of care he received. As with all Socialized systems of medical care, the younger the patient the better the care. The old seemed to be shoved into a waiting line to die and Robert was no longer a spring chicken.
Over time, as his muscles disappeared, Robert’s breathing became more difficult and labored, and he could barely hold a cup even using both of his now almost useless, claw-like hands. Robert was rapidly getting worse and with no help or diagnosis in sight he began to despair. But little did he realize an accurate diagnosis was just around the corner. In what seemed like a miracle, the last three doctors Robert was sent to all came to the same conclusion: Robert’s body was wasting away due to an injury he had sustained over three decades earlier.
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