My dad is devoted to the people he loves. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “You should always honor your family.”
I’m probably not as generous a person as my father, but with that example, even my coal-dark heart has grown to believe this—family, good family, is something to value.
So it makes me happy to come across stories like Frank’s, even though his experiences aren’t necessarily happy ones.
Written with a loving hand by Frank’s sister-in-law Violet, on the GoFundMe page she established, Frank’s story describes a family in a difficult situation.
A 24 year-old husband and father, Frank, had been the sole provider for his family, making a name of himself in construction.
Then, he developed an unexpected onset of ankylosing spondylitis (AS).
Walking became overwhelmingly painful; work, impossible. Sometimes, he couldn’t even move. Under doctors’ orders, AS meant Frank had to leave his job to seek a new line of work, which is no easy feat in this economy.
He, his wife, and daughter have fallen on hard times because of AS, but even whilst heading toward rock bottom, their family has been there to grab their hands.
Violet has dedicated her own time, money, and lifestyle to care for her sister and brother-in-law:
“A family that has so much to offer the world should not be condemned to just ‘survive.’”
But while the family is doing all they can, sometimes, the word “family” has to mean more: friends, nurses, doctors, coworkers. Even strangers. Violet asks anyone who sees their page to give what they can and to help lift this loving family up.
If you’re interested, share the full story and donate on GoFundMe here.
