In Adam Fraum’s memory to help Christopher Fraum

My name is Gina Pacheco. I am the mother of a four-year-old boy named Christopher Fraum. Christopher's father is Adam Fraum. On December 24, 2020, Christmas Eve, Adam was admitted to Broward Health Coral Springs with Covid-19, declared to have ARDS and bi-lateral pneumonia. Little did we know that our lives would change dramatically from that point on. New Year's came, and this was the last time Christopher was able to video chat with his father. To help our 4-year-old son comprehend what was happening to his daddy, we joked about Darth Vader, as Adam’s oxygen mask covered half of his face. He barely had enough energy to wave and get out more than 3 sentences. Due to respiratory failure, on January 8, 2021, Adam Fraum was placed in a medical coma and put on a ventilator. The next day he was transferred to Broward Health Medical Center for a higher level of care.

The next couple of months were grueling and painful to be a part of. On Tuesday, March 16, however, Adam pulled a “miracle”, as they said, when he officially woke up from the medically induced coma he was placed under on January 8, and was able to recognize family and friends, and communicate by moving his lips, as those that could visit him lip read and understood. After 9.5 weeks of being in a coma and 83 days in a hospital, multiple medically necessary procedures, and three chest tubes, among other things, Adam continued to show his tenacity for life and getting back to his son. Then on April 14, 2021, day 112 at the young age of 34, Adam departed this earthly life with a 4-year-old son left waiting to welcome him home…

Christopher is young and has not yet begun to truly live his life. To have a father taken from you so young is incomprehensible to me. What could I say to him but that his father passed away... he asked what does passed away mean and I said it means he died, but we say passed away. I told him that his daddy loved him so much and tried so hard to get better for him. That Adam is now in heaven. He asked if daddy was hurting in heaven, in pain… I said to him, there is no pain in heaven, only peace, only happiness and love. He asked if he could talk to his daddy, and I said he could, that Adam would always be able to hear him like the wind is always there. How much a four-year-old can comprehend of death is unknown to me, but I try to answer all of his questions the best that I can, and he has plenty. I hug him, hold him, and tell him I love him every chance I get. For my cup runneth over simply with his being alive. I may only be one person and one parent, but I will love Christopher enough for the two of us.

Many a conversation I had with Adam about how we would raise our son and what opportunities we would like to provide for him. We discussed educational expectations such as college, travel opportunities and what his first girlfriend would look like. Making sure College is covered and all the expenses that come with it is something I am unsure I can realistically cover on my own. Adam loved the stars and had hoped his son would follow in his footsteps and attend space camp, as he did when he was a child… I would love the opportunity to provide Christopher with a telescope so that he may explore the sky the way Adam once did… I love the water and had hoped Christopher would be on the swim team one day. Adam spoke about taking Christopher to Joshua Tree in California and the Grand Canyon to camp and hike. Adam loved the arts, taking photographs and filming. Something I wouldn’t be able to afford on my own would be a professional camera when he’s old enough, so Christopher can view the world through the lens, as Adam once did. To ensure we have a permanent home to call our own. The list was endless, and he was still only in daycare. So many hopes and dreams up in the air, almost out of reach with no clear path in sight for where our future will lead us now.

I am a single mother with a son who cannot yet fully understand the gravity of his situation, and I have no family in south Florida, where we reside.  Adam's untimely passing has caused an unexpected financial hardship, and with him gone there is a lot of uncertainty in our lives and our future. Please consider donating and sharing this fundraiser with your online network. No amount is too small. God bless you for any way you can help.

Your love and support are greatly appreciated. #FraumStrong