Brendan Michael Franco
Searcy Funeral Home and Crematory, 1301 Neal Metcalf Road, Enterprise, AL 36330Viewed: 2118
Posted by: MikeThompson
[email protected]
334-393-2273 or 334-347-2517
Date: Sep 25 2012 4:39 PM
Brendan Franco of Enterprise, AL passed away Thursday, September 20, 2012 after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 13 years old.
Funeral services will be held at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Friday, September 28, 2012. The family will receive friends from 10:00 to 11:45 A.M for Viewing and the Mass will begin at 12:00 noon with Reverend Gregory Okorobia officiating. Committal services will be at Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo, AL on Monday October 1, 2012 at 2:00 PM with Searcy Funeral Home directing.
Brendan was an active Boy Scout in Troop 150, Enterprise, AL. Brendan loved baseball and running cross country races. He was diagnosed with a rare liver cancer in June of 2011. From this point on, his life became an inspiring journey when his mother began posting on various media venues over the next 15 months. Brendan’s quiet and unassuming attitude won many hearts as he bravely fought an extremely aggressive cancer. His amazing zest for life was contagious and his wit and special brand of humor became legendary at Children’s Hospital, in Birmingham, AL.
Brendan’s initial prognosis was 36 to 72 hours, which he initially exceeded, but then stretched into an unheard of 15 month battle that amazed Doctors and medical staff to the very end of his life. His strong fighting spirit made him one of the longest surviving Hepatoblastoma patients and unique in that he developed a brain tumor.
Brendan’s struggle naturally led him and his family to seek other types of therapies, which in turn led to Gamma Delta T-Cell research. Although this new up and coming therapy looks very promising, Brendan could not avail himself of it, since his cancer was too advanced and became incurable. When Brendan realized that this illness would likely take his life, he made it his life’s work to eradicate chemotherapy and cancer from other children’s life.
Through the initial efforts of his mother Bonnie Franco, sites were created for the donation of monies and web-sites and other venues to facilitate donations and fundraising efforts.
His empathy for other children became the outstanding hallmark of his illness. As Brendan neared the end of his life he redoubled his efforts to end childhood suffering and dedicated himself to fundraising so that none would suffer like he did. He prayed daily and offered his own suffering to God for the relief of others. Brendan had a strong love for his community and especially his classmates.
Brendan’s dying wish was “that T-Cell research becomes a reality” and hoped that other families would never experience what the Franco family did. Brendan passed peacefully surrounded by his family, Thursday 20, September at 7:55 in the evening.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers all proceeds go to T-Cell research. To donate go to www.brendanfranco.com and follow the Donate link to Children’s Hospital of Alabama, Developmental Therapeutics Team. Or you can send checks to 103 Shadow Lane Enterprise, AL 36330, C/O Bonnie Franco. Please make out checks to Childrens Hospital of Alabama, in the memo/for portion of the check write T-Cell Research.
Survivors include his parents, Armand and Bonnie Franco, Enterprise, AL; two sisters, Amanda McGlown, King George, VA and Marielle Franco, Enterprise, AL; one brother, Christopher Franco, Eau Claire, WI.
You may sign the memorial register or send condolences to the family at our website: www.searcyfuneralhome.com .
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