Frank's Pancreatic Cancer Fight
Donation protected
November 7, 2018
Thank you to everyone who has given so generously. The family appreciates your kindness more than you will ever know. At this time we have suspended donations to this go fund me page and ask that you send any future donations to the following address:
Memorial contributions may be made to the Manhattan-Ogden Public Schools Foundation for a future soccer scholarship fund in Frank’s honor. Contributions may be left in care of the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502.
Again, thank you for your kindness and for loving Frank, Jenn, Sophia, Isabella and all of their family.
Mitzi
October 12, 2018
Frank Alonso of Manhattan, KS is many things. Son of Christine and Luis. Father to Sophia and Isabella. Husband to Jennifer. Soccer coach to thousands of kids over the past twenty years. Lifelong fan of Liverpool F.C…the list goes on.
He also recently found out he is a man with stage IV pancreatic cancer. His cancer is inoperable and extremely aggressive.
But in addition to the many qualities listed above, Frank is also a fighter, and he’s preparing to go to battle against this disease.
In addition to starting a chemotherapy regimen soon, his family members are in the process of sending his records to John Hopkins in Baltimore, MD, to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX, and lastly to Scripps Mercy Hospital located in San Diego, CA in hopes of finding a clinical trial to participate in that will give him access to more aggressive treatment options.
As anyone can imagine, all of this comes with not only emotional and physical cost to Frank and Jennifer, but also monetary. We are raising funds to help the Alonsos as they prepare to go to battle against this disease. There will be many days of missed work, missed appointments, co-pays, travel expenses, etc.
Please help by donating to Frank’s GoFundMe campaign to support him and his family as he fights the good fight, and please keep the entire family in your thoughts and prayers.
We will update this site as often as needed, to keep all of their family and friends up to date on Frank's progress. Thank you for your help, your thoughts and prayers, and for loving the Alonsos.
********
Frank’s Diagnosis
Around mid-September, Frank was experiencing nausea, lower back and side pain, unexplained weight loss and other painful symptoms. His physician diagnosed it as a kidney infection and treated it as such. When his symptoms didn’t get any better, Frank returned to his local doctor. Friday September 28th, his physician ordered an abdominal CT scan. The CT scan showed a mass on the tail of his pancreas along with multiple lesions on his liver.
Frank was immediately referred to the University of Kansas Medical Center. On Monday October 1st, they were able to meet with Dr. Anup Kasi, a Gastrointestinal Oncologist at KU Med. Dr. Kasi felt strongly based on Frank's CT scan that he had Stage IV pancreatic cancer with metastatic lesions in his liver.
Frank underwent a biopsy on Wednesday October 3rd at KU Med to confirm the diagnosis. The following day, Frank insisted on being there for the MHS Varsity Soccer game as they competed against Topeka. His players played well that night, winning their match 4 to 0, despite knowing something was deeply wrong with their coach's health.
The parents, myself included, in the bleachers watched with smiles on our faces and tears in our eyes as every single boy on that team hugged it out with Frank, in between Frank's coaching moments. It was so evident the impact Frank has had on each one of them. Once a coach, always a coach!
The Alonsos made another trip to KU Med on Wednesday, October 10th to discuss biopsy findings with Dr. Kasi. Dr. Kasi's prediction of cancer was confirmed. Frank's official diagnosis is Stage IV pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Adenocarcinoma/Stage IV Pancreatic cancer means that the cancer started in his pancreas and has now spread to his liver. His particular type of cancer is extremely aggressive and has been deemed inoperable by Dr. Kasi due to the spread to another organ.
There was hope of participating in a clinical trial that KU Med currently offers, but Frank’s specific case did not fit the requirements for this particular study. His family members are in the process of sending his records to John Hopkins in Baltimore, MD, to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX, and lastly to Scripps Mercy Hospital located in San Diego, CA in hopes of finding a clinical trial to participate in. Frank will begin a chemotherapy regimen soon, but an exact start date has not yet been decided. Thank you again for donating and keeping Frank in your thoughts.
Thank you to everyone who has given so generously. The family appreciates your kindness more than you will ever know. At this time we have suspended donations to this go fund me page and ask that you send any future donations to the following address:
Memorial contributions may be made to the Manhattan-Ogden Public Schools Foundation for a future soccer scholarship fund in Frank’s honor. Contributions may be left in care of the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502.
Again, thank you for your kindness and for loving Frank, Jenn, Sophia, Isabella and all of their family.
Mitzi
October 12, 2018
Frank Alonso of Manhattan, KS is many things. Son of Christine and Luis. Father to Sophia and Isabella. Husband to Jennifer. Soccer coach to thousands of kids over the past twenty years. Lifelong fan of Liverpool F.C…the list goes on.
He also recently found out he is a man with stage IV pancreatic cancer. His cancer is inoperable and extremely aggressive.
But in addition to the many qualities listed above, Frank is also a fighter, and he’s preparing to go to battle against this disease.
In addition to starting a chemotherapy regimen soon, his family members are in the process of sending his records to John Hopkins in Baltimore, MD, to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX, and lastly to Scripps Mercy Hospital located in San Diego, CA in hopes of finding a clinical trial to participate in that will give him access to more aggressive treatment options.
As anyone can imagine, all of this comes with not only emotional and physical cost to Frank and Jennifer, but also monetary. We are raising funds to help the Alonsos as they prepare to go to battle against this disease. There will be many days of missed work, missed appointments, co-pays, travel expenses, etc.
Please help by donating to Frank’s GoFundMe campaign to support him and his family as he fights the good fight, and please keep the entire family in your thoughts and prayers.
We will update this site as often as needed, to keep all of their family and friends up to date on Frank's progress. Thank you for your help, your thoughts and prayers, and for loving the Alonsos.
********
Frank’s Diagnosis
Around mid-September, Frank was experiencing nausea, lower back and side pain, unexplained weight loss and other painful symptoms. His physician diagnosed it as a kidney infection and treated it as such. When his symptoms didn’t get any better, Frank returned to his local doctor. Friday September 28th, his physician ordered an abdominal CT scan. The CT scan showed a mass on the tail of his pancreas along with multiple lesions on his liver.
Frank was immediately referred to the University of Kansas Medical Center. On Monday October 1st, they were able to meet with Dr. Anup Kasi, a Gastrointestinal Oncologist at KU Med. Dr. Kasi felt strongly based on Frank's CT scan that he had Stage IV pancreatic cancer with metastatic lesions in his liver.
Frank underwent a biopsy on Wednesday October 3rd at KU Med to confirm the diagnosis. The following day, Frank insisted on being there for the MHS Varsity Soccer game as they competed against Topeka. His players played well that night, winning their match 4 to 0, despite knowing something was deeply wrong with their coach's health.
The parents, myself included, in the bleachers watched with smiles on our faces and tears in our eyes as every single boy on that team hugged it out with Frank, in between Frank's coaching moments. It was so evident the impact Frank has had on each one of them. Once a coach, always a coach!
The Alonsos made another trip to KU Med on Wednesday, October 10th to discuss biopsy findings with Dr. Kasi. Dr. Kasi's prediction of cancer was confirmed. Frank's official diagnosis is Stage IV pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Adenocarcinoma/Stage IV Pancreatic cancer means that the cancer started in his pancreas and has now spread to his liver. His particular type of cancer is extremely aggressive and has been deemed inoperable by Dr. Kasi due to the spread to another organ.
There was hope of participating in a clinical trial that KU Med currently offers, but Frank’s specific case did not fit the requirements for this particular study. His family members are in the process of sending his records to John Hopkins in Baltimore, MD, to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX, and lastly to Scripps Mercy Hospital located in San Diego, CA in hopes of finding a clinical trial to participate in. Frank will begin a chemotherapy regimen soon, but an exact start date has not yet been decided. Thank you again for donating and keeping Frank in your thoughts.
Organizer and beneficiary
Mitzi Reisbig Frieling
Organizer
Manhattan, KS
Jennifer Alonso
Beneficiary
