DOCUMENT

10 | InTouch WINTER 2025 AFTER A HEARTBREAKING FUNERAL AND A LIFE-ALTERING DIAGNOSIS, ROB AND CHANEL HOWARD TURNED PERSONAL LOSS INTO A POWERFUL MISSION. Rob and Chanel Howard’s world changed twice—first with a diagnosis that shook their family, then with the devastating loss of Rob's Grandfather. Out of that heartbreak, they found strength and purpose. What began as a personal journey through grief has become a powerful mission to honour his legacy and support others walking a similar path. FEATURE “I get to utilise certain skills I have … and be able to do something meaningful,”he said. When Rob Howard attended his grandfather’s funeral, he was struck by how much he learned about the man not from years spent together, but from stories shared by others that day. “I wish I knew him better,” he said. That moment of regret, and a life-changing medical diagnosis, sparked a new purpose for Howard and his wife, Chanel. The Christchurch couple launched The Rosemary Project, a service that helps people create personal video memoirs to leave behind for loved ones, preserving stories of immigration, school years, career milestones, and more. A professional solo musician for eight years, Howard’s life changed drastically when COVID-19 shut down the entertainment industry. In 2021, he began working on cars instead, until his health began to deteriorate. “It was quite a physical job. I started struggling quite badly and I couldn’t figure out why,” he said. Multiple doctor visits later, he was diagnosed with Becker muscular dystrophy, a genetic degenerative condition that weakens muscles over time. As doctors traced the condition through his family, they concluded his grandfather also had it—though he never knew. “My grandfather, he got diagnosed from me being diagnosed,” Howard said. “He never knew [he had it] his entire life.” From diagnosis to legacy Above: Rob and Chanel Howard. His mother often noted similarities between the two, like the way they walked up stairs. Today, the condition mainly affects Howard’s thighs, upper legs, and chest muscles, limiting his mobility and making it difficult to do things like stand for long periods or pick up his young children. “A few years ago, there were things I could do that I can’t do now. You lose a lot of your mobility quite quickly,” he said. Rather than focus on what he’d lost, Howard turned his attention to what he still had—his video and audio gear from his music days, and a desire to do something meaningful. That combination became The Rosemary Project. “I get to utilise certain skills I have … and be able to do something meaningful,” he said.