Franks journey

Frank is a man in his prime at the age of 24, he has a loving fiancé and a beautiful 18 month old daughter. There are a lot of good things I could say about my brother in law but the most prominent trait is his devotion to his daughter and his love for my sister. Frank was the sole bread winner of the family, he worked in construction and was progressing in an industry that he loved.

In a matter of two weeks my sisters family has suffered greatly. Frank has been troubled with back pain since the beginning of this year and doctors have finally diagnosed him with a form of spinal arthritis called ankylosing spondylitis (AS). AS is a type of inflammatory arthritis that targets the joints of the spine, most prominently the sacroiliac joint where the spine attaches to the pelvis. This means that Franks body grows more bone then it should, due to it's inflammatory nature it attacks his hip,spine and some of his main organs. Some days, this renders him immobile. Other days, he can walk and move but the pain can be excruciating.  Doctors and rheumatologists have informed Frank that he can no longer work in any form of physical labour, leaving him with the pressure of sourcing an income from an entirely new field of work. My sister is a stay at home mum and now a carer for Frank until a treatment plan has been decided to help manage his disease. There is no cure for AS, there is only treatment to reduce the amount of pain you experience.

While Jess and Frank cannot work expenses are mounting. They currently have been living in Ocean Grove but due to the circumstances are forced to move within a month as they cannot afford rent on their own anymore. While things look challenging and bleak we are a family and I am confident that we will persevere through this.

To survive is one thing, but to have quality of life is another. I made this page because a family that has so much to offer the world should not be condemned to just ‘survive’. I want my sister to be able to become a nurse like she dreams of doing, I want Frank to feel relief that pressure to provide for his family is not just on his back alone, and I want my niece to be able to continue experiencing the actvities like her swimming lessons that she loves to do now.  I have donated $500 of my own money and have decided to move in with them so we can split the expenses of a house together. If donating money is something you would like to do (the smallest amount WILL make a difference) we would be so genuinely grateful. The money we raise will go towards the bond on a new house closer to their family and living expenses while they are both unable to work. THANK YOU for taking the time to read this and learn about this young family, it means more to me than I could ever express in words.