Hi Team! I'm supporting the Courage Classic for patients, more like WARRIORS, just like Frankie!
Frankie, his family, and others like them benefit immensely from your donations in so many ways. My passion rests in the cardiac realm, which is why I'm fortunate enough to ride for Frankie and his family. However, the donations received during this fundraising are utilized in many ways to bring life saving and life sustaining treatments to those who need them within the Children's Hospital system.
The following is Frankie's story as shared by his parents Lisbel and Bryan:
"I found out I was pregnant on Sept 1st, 2022, after a few months of trying to grow our family. We were so excited and imagining what our second would be like. At around 18 weeks' gestation we learned that Francisco’s heart was struggling to survive due to a rare pathway where my autoimmune disorder (Sjogren’s) caused my own immune cells to attack his developing heart cells. Every day his heartbeat slowed down, and we began to brace for a tragedy. We are so grateful to have been in the care of the Fetal Care Center at Children’s Hospital. They wanted to help try to save Frankie’s life and we were on board to try whatever they recommended. By the power of God, lifesaving medicines and daily mental support and strength from those around me, Frankie and I made it to almost full term. He was born on April 25, 2023. The procedure to deliver Frankie was called an EXIT procedure which was miraculous in itself. Frankie had an external pacemaker placed to keep him alive through the delivery which meant he was partially delivered, operated on, then re-entered my uterus and then they conducted a C-Section. Within a few days it was clear Frankie would need a full pacemaker placed to have the best chance at life – without the external support, his heart would keep weakening. After 9 days of life in the Cardiac ICU he underwent open heart surgery to have a pacemaker placed on his heart. We then spent a few additional weeks recovering and monitoring before bringing him home. I sometimes have a hard time remembering those weeks and months because I was so filled with fear and anticipatory grief. After coming home on May 17, 2023, Frankie was on oxygen a few more weeks to help support his growth. We are so grateful to say that Frankie’s story only just began there.
Francisco is now 2 years old, loving, curious, hilarious, brave and SO intelligent. He brought so much light and joy into our family we can’t imagine what life would’ve been like without him – he completed us. Frankie will need his pacemaker battery and leads replaced throughout his life but the team has assured us that Frankie can do, be and pursue anything that any other child can, just with an incredible scar and story to go with it."
Please consider donating to support children just like Frankie.
Thank you so much for your help in this cause.
Your Cardiac Climber,
Tommy L
