Fighting for Frankie
Donation protected
Thank you for taking time out of your day to read and understand the story of a young man who has had a long and hard fight against cancer and continues to have the strength to fight more.
At the age of 16 Frankie was diagnosed with Sonic Hedgehog Medulloblastoma, which is a tumor of the central nervous system. At this time, he was rushed to Phoenix, AZ from Tucson, AZ to undergo brain surgery that was then followed by seven months of chemo and radiation. For four years he was cancer free.
In 2016, Frankie’s cancer reoccurred and this time a tumor was found between the ventricles in his brain. This time around he was able to undergo radio-surgery, a type of radiation, that erased the tumor and bought Frankie another year of being cancer free.
2017, his cancer was back again. Frankie started a clinical trial, but unfortunately the chemo used in the trial took a large toll on his body and he had to stop the treatment. Time went by and the tumors had grown in his brain and moved down to his spine.
Frankie was blessed with the opportunity to start a first phase clinical trail through St. Jude’s Hospital in January of 2019. For a year, he traveled from Tucson to Memphis with his mother to receive treatments, complete scans, and have the tumors closely monitored. Sadly, at the end of that year, Frankie received the bad news that the treatment was no longer working, and the tumors were continuing to grow. The growth caused severe health complications that lead to a seven-week hospitalization.
Frankie was not ready to stop fighting, so while he was hospitalized he started yet another chemo treatment. He was met again with the news that the treatment was not working. It was different this time because he was also informed that there were no longer any treatment options available for him in The United States. This meant that the cancer was terminal and all the oncologists were able to do was monitor and treat his secondary symptoms.
Frankie is currently 24 years old and is not ready to stop fighting. He knows there is so much more that he wants to do in his life and is not ready to give up on that dream.
He learned of Pluripotent Embryonic Stem Cells, which is a treatment that is offered in Mexico and not covered by his insurance.
This is the Hail Mary play that he and his family are praying for. We are asking you to consider donating what you can to aid Frankie in getting to Mexico and continuing his fight.
At the age of 16 Frankie was diagnosed with Sonic Hedgehog Medulloblastoma, which is a tumor of the central nervous system. At this time, he was rushed to Phoenix, AZ from Tucson, AZ to undergo brain surgery that was then followed by seven months of chemo and radiation. For four years he was cancer free.
In 2016, Frankie’s cancer reoccurred and this time a tumor was found between the ventricles in his brain. This time around he was able to undergo radio-surgery, a type of radiation, that erased the tumor and bought Frankie another year of being cancer free.
2017, his cancer was back again. Frankie started a clinical trial, but unfortunately the chemo used in the trial took a large toll on his body and he had to stop the treatment. Time went by and the tumors had grown in his brain and moved down to his spine.
Frankie was blessed with the opportunity to start a first phase clinical trail through St. Jude’s Hospital in January of 2019. For a year, he traveled from Tucson to Memphis with his mother to receive treatments, complete scans, and have the tumors closely monitored. Sadly, at the end of that year, Frankie received the bad news that the treatment was no longer working, and the tumors were continuing to grow. The growth caused severe health complications that lead to a seven-week hospitalization.
Frankie was not ready to stop fighting, so while he was hospitalized he started yet another chemo treatment. He was met again with the news that the treatment was not working. It was different this time because he was also informed that there were no longer any treatment options available for him in The United States. This meant that the cancer was terminal and all the oncologists were able to do was monitor and treat his secondary symptoms.
Frankie is currently 24 years old and is not ready to stop fighting. He knows there is so much more that he wants to do in his life and is not ready to give up on that dream.
He learned of Pluripotent Embryonic Stem Cells, which is a treatment that is offered in Mexico and not covered by his insurance.
This is the Hail Mary play that he and his family are praying for. We are asking you to consider donating what you can to aid Frankie in getting to Mexico and continuing his fight.
Organizer and beneficiary
Denise Tellez
Organizer
Tucson, AZ
michelle Castaneda
Beneficiary