Frankies Family Emergency Assistance

Hi my name is Haley Piper, and I am one of the many granddaughters of Frankie Valens.

Frankie Valens is a well known and loved Christian man who has followed the Lord in many ways throughout his life. He is a former pop-singer from the late 60s and 70s. His career took off while he was in the band Eminent Domain. He has been known for 'This Magic Moment', 'Lion Sleeps Tonight' ,and 'Smoke Gets in Your Eyes'.

However, his path to fame came to a halt as he decided to become a follower of the Lord. He then began to travel throughout the United States, spreading joy and his love for God by singing and performing gospel songs. Since then, he has recorded over 14 albums including ‘Just Give Me Jesus.’

Along his journey of being a follower, it lead him to become a pastor of First Christian Church in Syracuse and eventually , to retirement, settling down in Wichita, Kansas. However, his love to sing and praise God has never stopped.

His lifelong partner and wife, who he sang and wrote music with for years, sadly passed away in June of 2023, leaving Frankie alone in Kansas. His son, Mark and his wife Nikki, have become such a huge support to Frankie for the last year, caring for his medical needs, transportation, and providing elderly care. However, they both live in Oklahoma and has to travel back home at times.

Last week, Mark received a call from his father, Frankie that he was going to St. Francis Hospital in Wichita, Kansas for chest pains and coughing up blood. Mark sprung into action and began traveling back to Kansas to be with his father.

His loved ones anxiously and patiently waited to find out what was going on with Frankie. After some time, it was determined he had a rare condition where his heart (aorta) had merged with his esophagus, causing blood to drain into his stomach.

When this news hit, several of his other children (Heather and Jennifer) traveled from Colorado and New Jersey to be with Frankie for support. The options for treatment were extremely limited: Hospice or undergo two very risky procedures in Houston, Texas. He chose to fight and flew to Houston and was admitted to Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center.

After days of testing, evaluations, and meeting with his medical team, Frankie will begin to undergo a series of procedures, firstly being an Esophagectomy. After he heals from this procedure, they can repair his aorta. His recovery is expected to be several weeks up to 3 months.

Unfortunately, he has no living relatives in Texas and some of his children have to return home to support their own families. Since Mark has been caring for Frankie over these last several months, he plans to not leave his fathers side and will be staying behind to be with him every step of the way.

Our family needs support right now for Mark to stay close to his father during this time. We are raising money for Mark to help cover his temporary living, travel, and food expenses in Houston, Texas.

Please help us raise funds to help our family during this time!