Adios My Very Special Amigo Frank

26 October 2009

A few hours ago today and incidentally exactly a week to the day that I arrived back home I recieved the most upsetting news via e-mail from my dear friend Lynsey in Cusco....

Subject: Bad News Do Not Open At Work
>Hi Mina,
This is the hardest email I have ever written, if I had your phone number I would be calling as has been the worst day ever. If you are at work and have opened this please wait till you get home before you read the rest.

I had to tell you. I went into San Juan De Dios this morning and Frank has died over the weekend.


When I read those words my world came crashing down around me, I could not believe what I had just read, my beautiful, smiley, loving and affectionate little baby Frank was no longer with us.



How could this be? It couldn't possibly be true it's not possible it's Frank, full of energy, full of life and soo much love and affection. Writing and talking about Frank in the past tense feels so wrong. But it is true he is not with us anymore.

I cannot begin to describe what an amazing little boy he was, I will say however, no amount of words can ever do him justice. He had the most affectionate little smile and laugh, was always so bubbly and energetic and what he loved doing the most was cuddling and hugging all those around him, especially all the other children. I often had to prise him apart from the other children because he was holding on to them so tight, but he was just so excitable when he was able to physically shower the other children with affection i.e. when he was out of his wheelchair.

I will miss him terribly and you might be thinking what a bold statement for me to make having spent less then two weeks with him, but I cannot stress enough how much of an amazing little star he was and it was impossible not to adore him and want to spend more time with him. It was such a privilege to have spent time with this wonderful little boy.

At the mere age of eight years Frank would have put any adult to shame with his loving and affectionate personality. To say that the loss of Frank is a big loss to all and especially to the children at San Juan De Dios, does not come anywhere near close to how much of a loss it really is and how much he will be missed by the other children.

I want to scream and shout in anger about him being taken away and I feel so helpless and useless as there is nothing I can do to bring him back. What upsets me furthermore is that this so very special little boy has no family to give him a proper goodbye and it upsets me to think how lonely he might have felt this weekend.

I feel useless about the fact that I am not even able to help arrange a proper goodbye that he very much deserves and so I have a special request to ask of you all. I appreciate that you had not had the pleasure of meeting Frank but I am sure you will agree that taking one look at him in these pictures gives you an insight of what a special person he was, my request is, Please will you take a moment to think of Frank and what a wonderful little boy he was.



Frank you are a little angel may you rest in peace.
All My Love
Your Amigo Mina