Frances (France) Knaack-Day
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Our family has had several friends offer to create a Go fund me and hold fundraising events. I wanted to be able to control how much personal information was shared. It is hard and humbling experience to ask for help.
I do not want this upcoming surgery to be a financial burden. Prayerfully give us your support in whatever way you feel led....here is a bit of what has happened.
After Christmas Justin and France headed down for Duke Hospital to meet with a thoracic surgeon. The past several months France had been in and out of the hospital with complications from her esophagectomy that was done almost 20 years ago. The news they received at this appointment was unexpected and overwhelming. Frances would need to have her stomach removed and her whole GI system replumbed from her neck down. Justin is in his 3rd year of radiology residency, this is a 4 year program. His education will be put on hold to help his wife recover and he plans on taking a 3-6 month leave. The surgery will require a 3-4 week hospital stay. Justin will need to get a hotel room close by. The kids ages 5,8, 11, and 20 will fly back to the west coast to stay with family. The recovery will be long, the house and yard will need to be maintained and help with the cost of airfare for the boys. .
At the age of 18 month Frances ingested a lye based substance and suffered severe chemical burns in her esophagus. This led to a feeding tube and weekly procedures at Children's Hospital to stretch out the burned tissue in her esophagus. The hope was she would one day be able to eat again. She eventually was able to eat foods, some caused her difficulties but she learned to live with it.
The later teen years she began needing more procedures to continue to dilate the stricture. Surgical options were sought to fix the problem. She underwent a Total esophagectomy with gastric pull-up. The surgery did not go as planned and it took years to adjust to a new normal. Numerous (in the hundreds) surgeries,procedures,infections, and hospitalization followed. So many we have lost count. So many blessings happened also, she had met her husband, Justin, they have 4 boys. Frances was able to work when their youngest son started school, this was just part time but the added income helped the family. She has been unable to work these past few months.
Please help this family for travel and lodging expenses and other unexpected out of pocket expenses.
We know God continues to have a plan. Thank you!
I do not want this upcoming surgery to be a financial burden. Prayerfully give us your support in whatever way you feel led....here is a bit of what has happened.
After Christmas Justin and France headed down for Duke Hospital to meet with a thoracic surgeon. The past several months France had been in and out of the hospital with complications from her esophagectomy that was done almost 20 years ago. The news they received at this appointment was unexpected and overwhelming. Frances would need to have her stomach removed and her whole GI system replumbed from her neck down. Justin is in his 3rd year of radiology residency, this is a 4 year program. His education will be put on hold to help his wife recover and he plans on taking a 3-6 month leave. The surgery will require a 3-4 week hospital stay. Justin will need to get a hotel room close by. The kids ages 5,8, 11, and 20 will fly back to the west coast to stay with family. The recovery will be long, the house and yard will need to be maintained and help with the cost of airfare for the boys. .
At the age of 18 month Frances ingested a lye based substance and suffered severe chemical burns in her esophagus. This led to a feeding tube and weekly procedures at Children's Hospital to stretch out the burned tissue in her esophagus. The hope was she would one day be able to eat again. She eventually was able to eat foods, some caused her difficulties but she learned to live with it.
The later teen years she began needing more procedures to continue to dilate the stricture. Surgical options were sought to fix the problem. She underwent a Total esophagectomy with gastric pull-up. The surgery did not go as planned and it took years to adjust to a new normal. Numerous (in the hundreds) surgeries,procedures,infections, and hospitalization followed. So many we have lost count. So many blessings happened also, she had met her husband, Justin, they have 4 boys. Frances was able to work when their youngest son started school, this was just part time but the added income helped the family. She has been unable to work these past few months.
Please help this family for travel and lodging expenses and other unexpected out of pocket expenses.
We know God continues to have a plan. Thank you!
Organizer
Frances Knaack-Day
Organizer
Suffolk, VA
