I will share the information from his (previous) fundraiser page for everyone. There is a link at the bottom to help support the funeral:
Franz began medical school in January 2015 at the age of 37 years. I met him our first day on the island of Grenada, and it didn't take long to learn how genuine and true of a friend he is. Over time I became closer to Franz and every experience I learned about his life, I was amazed by how caring and selfless he is despite all that he's been through.
The summer of 2015, Franz decided this 3-month cough has been bothering him for long enough and should be checked out. Now, keep in mind that Franz was a pretty big guy at that time, so he wouldn't go to the doc unless he really needed something taken care of. Somehow his instinct was right. The doctor incidentally found what looked like potential lung cancer, but primary tests came back inconclusive. What does that even mean? It means we need to do more tests because you might have something else. Keep in mind that Franz does not smoke, and it doesn't make sense for such a young man to have cancer.
We learned that Franz did not have cancer. He did still have a rare germ cell cancer in his chest, but which has a 90% cure rate. On August 24, he began what would be a total of 4 rounds of chemotherapy. With the tumor reduced to half its size, Franz had a final surgery on December 10, 2015. He was clear! What a happy new year. After a semester of medical leave, Franz came back to become a doctor in January 2016.
In February 2016, Franz began having tongue deviation and partial paralysis. He developed a fever of 101 F, and we immediately had him book a flight home for an MRI. On February 29, 2016, we learned that the cancer was back at full force. He had 20 lesions on the liver and metastasis to the kidneys and occipital bone of his head.
He had a PICC line placed so he would be ready for chemotherapy as soon as they decided to start his treatment. He was started on a high dose regimen of chemotherapy.
The latest update we have received was on March 24th, after Franzie's appointment with the oncologist. We've learned that Franz has not been responding to chemotherapy. There is blood pooling in the liver and a new mass near the spinal column, which is being watched closely. Franz's most recent round of chemotherapy was pushed back, because the intensity of the chemo dosage is too strong and his body isn't recovering fully. He has already been in for a blood transfusion to try to stabilize his blood count. Franz is now being considered as a candidate for a new cancer drug trial.
Franz is surrounded by loving family at home and a numerous amount of friends in Grenada, all trying our best to show support and stay positive through what we call the Zombie Apocalypse (Franz's words).
Special shoutout to Momma Franzie, who makes sure Franz is well fed and still calls up his friends with updates so we don't worry too much about him. Please join in our cause. Show support by purchasing a shirt and/or donating through our gofundme page:
https://www.gofundme.com/teamfranz .
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Pre cancer Franz
When chemo took away Franz's hair:
In the hospital:
Right before the surgery, in December 2015:
As you can see, Franz has always been a positive person. Even as he is battling cancer, he stays strong for family and friends. He hesitates to send us updates, because he doesn't want to distract us from studying. Regardless of the battle scars Franz has received through his fight, his ever so kind and loving soul can never be touched by cancer.
