Help the Franchella Family Grow

My name is Adam Franchella - I have created this GoFundMe campaign on behalf of my older brother and best friend, Rick Franchella, as well as his amazing wife and my sister-in-law, Laura Franchella, who have recently gone through two tragic pregnancy losses in 13 months.

Rick and Laura have experienced tremendous hardship and loss as they began the journey to grow their family. They lost Leo Franchella at 20 weeks in July of 2020 and Sophia Franchella at 29 weeks in August of 2021. Rick and Laura have decided that they will pursue the options of surrogacy or adoption to start their family. By reaching out to you here, I am hoping that we, as their support system, family, and community can help them make either of these very expensive options a possibility.

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It’s clear to everyone who knows them that Rick and Laura are perfect for each other. Over the last several years, our families have witnessed their love story and watched them grow together, and complement every part of each other. They are kind, nurturing, family-centered, and passionate individuals who seek out the best in people and the world. Not only is their love for each other apparent, their shared love of children and teaching brings them together.

Most people search years, often their entire lives, trying to discover what they were put on this Earth to do. Rick and Laura are lucky enough to have found their purpose early on in their lives. As educators, Laura and Rick have dedicated their lives to children. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing both Rick and Laura interact with children, whether it be our wonderful cousins or the young kids Rick and I coached in baseball. They are both in their natural state when teaching and learning from children. This passion and dedication makes it clear to everyone who knows Rick and Laura that they are meant to be parents, no matter the circumstances. Everything seemingly fell into place when Rick and Laura became pregnant for the first time.

In the spring of 2020, Rick and Laura FaceTimed me, my mother, and my sister to announce that they were expecting. It was a bright spot amidst the darkness of the COVID-19 pandemic for which we all needed. Planning began immediately to prepare for the first Franchella grandchild, Leo Franchella. However, as the summer came, that joy and excitement turned to sadness and grief when we learned that we would soon lose Leo due to physical complications that severely deteriorated his health. From 16 - 20 weeks, Leo developed hydrocephalus or water on the brain disallowing brain development, a hole in his heart and a host of other physical issues. Life would not be possible for sweet Leo outside of the womb. Our families rallied around Rick and Laura to support them during this extremely challenging time, always remembering Rick and Laura’s singular purpose in life is to have a family. They were devastated, but hope was not lost on their desire for a family.

Before trying for their long awaited family again, they underwent extensive genetic testing to determine the cause of Leo’s demise. Unfortunately, no conclusive cause was determined, except to say, it was a random genetic occurrence. Doctors ensured they were safe to try again.

Our prayers were answered several months later when my mother, my sister, and I received another group FaceTime call from Rick announcing that Sophia Franchella was on her way. This time our excitement was paired with quiet worry and uncertainty. Sophia’s journey had a rocky start however as twice in the first three months we thought we would lose her due to uterine bleeding. Alas, after these episodes, she appeared to be healthy. Week after week, appointment after appointment, Laura and baby Sophia were doing well. As Laura entered her third trimester, it was full steam ahead, so much so that the baby shower was being excitingly planned by Laura and our family. They started to let their guard down to finally become excited thinking that baby Sophia would actually be theirs. None of us were prepared for the news that came next.

On the morning of August 23rd, as Laura entered the 29th week of her pregnancy, she was troubled by the fact that she no longer felt Sophia kicking, a feeling that had become very common over recent weeks. Coming off a great result from their last appointment just a week before, they assumed nothing was wrong, but due to their experience with Leo, they knew that they had to confirm. Nurses assured them that nothing was wrong and this was perfectly normal. Rick and Laura went to the Labor and Delivery Unit of their hospital where they were brought to a public triage unit to meet with a nurse. Surrounded by other women about to give birth to healthy babies separated only by fabric curtains, it was at this time that their greatest fears came to reality. After minutes of searching for a heartbeat, the nurse cursed and turned to them and told them that they could not find a heartbeat from their dear Sophia. She was gone. Sophia was alive and healthy the day before, and now, she was longer with us.

Laura and Rick were in the hospital for the next week to endure their biggest trial yet: Laura would need to deliver baby Sophia knowing her faint cries would not be on the other end of that trauma. They were able to hold Sophia in their arms, but knew that they would never see her grow up. This experience broke them.

The hardest part about this all is the loss of hope. Rick and Laura swallowed their fear after losing Leo to try for their family once again, and with everything seemingly going perfectly with Sophia, lost her too. It has been two months since we lost Sophia, and after an autopsy, genetic testing and an amniocentesis, doctors still have no idea why she passed. She was supposed to be born today, November 8th, and with this day coming and going, their family is still not complete.

I as their brother cannot even begin to fathom the physical and mental toll that the losses of Leo and Sophia have taken on them, all within 13 months. What I do know with certainty is this: these two amazing people are parents. They will forever be parents to Leo, they will forever be parents to Sophia, and they will be the most incredible parents in the world to any child who is lucky enough to receive their love and be raised in their home.

It is because of this void that we are calling for your help and support to make this a reality. Please help us to bless the Franchella home with the son/daughter, nephew/niece, & grandson/granddaughter that it desperately wants.

Thank you so much for all of your continued love and support for our families and of Rick and Laura. Please feel free to reach out to me directly with any thoughts or questions.