Fighting For Frank

Hi, my name is Allison Pyle and I am raising funds to help my parents with my dad, Frank Pyle's medical needs.

Memorial Day weekend of 2023, I was spending the long weekend down my parent's beach house, as usual. On Sunday, we had a BBQ and my dad was completely normal. The next day he wasn't getting out of bed at his normal time and my mom went to check on him. He said he felt like he had a stomach flu and was really weak, so we helped him down the stairs and he spent the day on the couch. He couldn't even hold down water, but we weren't overly concerned. The following day he wasn't getting better, so we talked him into going to the hospital. By the next day he was on life support and our world was forever changed.

We now know that he only had one working kidney, and it failed. His kidney was not processing a drug he was on for Diabetes out of his system and this caused a condition called Metformin Toxicity, which led to sepsis. His body was literally shutting down, system by system. Somehow he survived the first 48 most critical hours, but over the next 6 weeks or so, we were told on 4 different occasions to call in anyone who wants to say goodbye and to start planning his funeral. He has had more complications than we can fathom. He had his right leg amputated above the knee. His fingers on his right hand started self amputating. His mouth was going gangrene and we were told he might not ever be able to swallow. He went into A-fib and his heart started throwing clots all over his body. This caused multiple mini-strokes and we were told he was blind and might not be able to use the left side of his body. He developed a bed sore on his back that got infected and turned into flesh eating bacteria. We were told if we chose not to treat it, we could move him to hospice and it would take his life within 24 hours.

Throughout this whole ordeal, even when my dad was comatose, we could tell he was fighting SO HARD. Just when we would feel we were heading to the end, he would send us some sign that he was still with us. My mom, brother and I, along with other family and friends all agreed that my dad has such a zest for life and would not want to give up. We have been fighting along with him this whole time and will continue to do so!

We are 7.5 months into his nightmare, and my dad has made tremendous progress, but still has a long way to go. In September, he "woke up" and started talking and has been able to talk to us daily. Sometimes it's full blown conversations, other times it's "yes's" and "no"s." Sometimes he's asleep and can't communicate, other times he's alert and can. We just take it day by day. Or more honestly, hour by hour.

Medically, he's doing much better. His kidney, which initially failed, is now functioning normally and he hasn't needed dialysis for about 3-4 months. His wound still needs daily treatment, but is beginning to heal. Cognitively, the Doctor's don't know and can't predict what he'll be able to do, since it's a brain injury. We are hopeful he will continue to improve!

I know I'm biased, but my parents are two of the most hard-working, selfless, kindest people I know. I always knew they loved each other deeply, but seeing my mom's unwavering support throughout this, had proved it even more. She visits my dad daily for hours, even during the months he was comatose. They would do absolutely anything for anybody, especially my brother and I. My parents are "Delaware" through and through, having attended St. Elizabeth's and Salesianum and meeting at University of Delaware. They both gave back to the community that they grew up in. My mom taught 6th Grade at St. Elizabeth's for 30 years. My dad was a Wilmington Police Officer for 25 years and spent another 25 years at the Delaware Department of Insurance, where he was still working up until the day he got sick. He set multiple retirement dates, but as they would approach, he would always say "I'll do one more year." I don't think he would've ever willingly retired, because he loved his job and his DOI Family.

Throughout this time, we have been so blessed with the amazing support of family and friends. We are blown away with how our community has rallied around us and held us together when we felt our world was falling apart, and for that, we will always be grateful!

It's awkward to talk about the financial burden of a family member with a long term illness, but the reality is, medical care is expensive. His next step is to move to a Long Term Care facility, which will cost approximately $40,000 per month out of pocket. Both of my parents have worked full time, sometimes multiple jobs, and have saved their whole lives for retirement. I hate to see their life savings depleting because of what we're going through. I am organizing a Beef and Beer Fundraiser to help offset some of my dad's medical expenses and to be able to provide him with anything he will need to assist with his comfort once we get him home (such as prosthetics, motorized wheelchair, or modifications to their home). Our ultimate goal is to get him back home with us. I made this page for people who are unable to attend and would like to contribute to this fundraiser. Any amount is greatly appreciated!

We are forever grateful for you! Please continue to pray.

Love,

The Pyle family, Frank, Diane, Frank III, and Allie