Frank Lisa

Friends, Family, and compassionate souls,

The kind-hearted free spirit you see pictured here is named Frank Lisa, and I truly appreciate you taking the time to read his story. Frank is currently in his second battle with a form of brain cancer called Astrocytoma and is in dire need of support and assistance in any way.

Frank and I met on the school bus during our first week of second grade. Since then, we’ve been best friends and brothers at heart helping each other find our ways in life. It’s uncanny to think about some of our earliest memories as kids and how fearful we both were of growing up and figuring out how we wanted to define ourselves. Luckily, when you have a friend like Frank, those struggles and burdens are never fought alone.

In April 2020 and the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic, Frank woke up on a hospital bed completely unaware of his surroundings and unaware of why he was there. A couple of hours prior, his roommate heard him collapse in the bathroom. After receiving no verbal response when asked if he was okay, his roommate quickly checked to see what was going on and discovered that Frank had had a seizure and hit his head on the way down causing him to lose consciousness. After multiple tests, scans, and everything in between, it was discovered that Frank had an egg-sized tumor in his right temporal lobe. In June 2020, the official diagnosis was stage 2 astrocytoma after resection cavity surgery was performed to remove the tumor. His neurologist estimated the tumor to have been growing since he was twelve years old.

Astrocytoma is a slow-growing form of brain cancer and develops from a type of glial cells called astrocytes. Astrocytes are star-shaped cells and they support the nerve cells (neurons) in the brain. Because the cells are star-shaped, the tumors grow unpredictably and in all different directions, making it difficult to surgically remove and guarantee a full 100% removal. In fact, surrounding tissue was taken out during his first surgery as a preventative measure to help ensure that the cancer would not return. Unfortunately, this strategy was proven to be unsuccessful.

As of last month (August 2024), Frank’s cancer has returned. This time, however, in the form of not one but two tumors. Unfortunately, one of the tumors is closer to his parietal lobe and his neurologist believes this to be a more aggressive form of astrocytoma. After many consultations and appointments, they decided that yet another surgery would have to be performed with chemotherapy and radiation treatment to follow. Luckily, Since his 2020 recovery, Frank has had MRIs scheduled regularly to monitor the possibility of the cancer’s recurrence. This allowed for the two new tumors to be found relatively early and gave us all a slight chance of hope.

It goes without saying that situations like Frank’s are very disheartening and discouraging – for everybody. Frank works as a certified massage therapist in Las Vegas, NV specializing in recovery of athletes and performers. His freelance practice has expanded in the area immensely just by word-of-mouth and hopes to be completely self-employed in the near future. He makes a living by making people feel better and be better, which in turn gives him a sense of fulfillment and pride – like he’s doing his part in contributing to the world. Additionally, he’s recently taken up stand-up comedy and has been consistently finding himself at open mics at world-renowned comedy clubs, such as Wise Guys, and trying to make a name for himself in the comedy scene. Again, not only working hard at something but simultaneously just wanting to make people feel good. I find it extremely sobering to know that something like this is capable of happening to somebody who is capable of doing no wrong, only right. It’s even more sobering to know that in our modern American culture, cancer comes at a real price to pay not involving your body.

I started this bio by mentioning one very important thing – any form of support and assistance to my best friend means the world to him. Frank’s mental health has obviously suffered tremendously because of this, so any form of encouragement goes a long way for him. He’s often said to me that he’s “lucky” to have had his tumors in his temporal lobes as it’s easier for the surgeons and neurologists to work with. However, the temporal lobe is the part of the brain that serves as the hub for emotions and memory. With that being said, I have to selfishly admit – it’s been very difficult to see such a person who has shined so much light slowly come to the point of having no spark.

He’s been very reluctant to accept the idea of a fundraiser or any sort of help out of a sense of pride, but I believe it’s paramount for him to understand that sometimes the ONLY way to get by is with a little help from your friends.

Please consider donating in hopes that my best friend can continue his journey of trying to better himself and the world around him one day at a time. I wish there was an easier and less burdening way of ensuring that Frank was taken care of, however, I believe it’s important for him to understand that in a fight like this, he is not alone and never will be.

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. God bless all of you.

-Wyatt H.

For more information, please contact Help Hope Live at 800.642.8399.