By MADDY VITALE
Frankie LaSasso is not your ordinary 8-year-old kid. Sure, he likes sports. In fact, he is a great competitor and a good student. But there is something that sets him apart from many other children his age.
He has been battling T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia since December 2020.
In addition to taking daily chemo pills, the second-grade student in the Hammonton public school system has undergone countless chemotherapy treatments. Yet the big brother to 7-year-old Gino never lets anything get to him and acts like just another kid.
His parents, Frank LaSasso, Ocean City High School’s assistant coach for both football and baseball, and his mother, Tiffany, call him an inspiration to others.
The LaSasso family has seen some ups and downs over the last couple of years, but Frankie seems to just take life as it comes and appreciates every moment, his father said.
“He doesn’t talk about it,” LaSasso, who is also an eighth-grade math teacher at the Ocean City Intermediate School, said Friday. “He almost just accepts it.”
And when he throws out the ceremonial ball during a baseball game or makes motivational videos to help other kids going through medical situations similar to his, he just does it.
Frankie was chosen by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as the South Jersey representative for the Student of the Year contest.
On Wednesday, the Ocean City Intermediate School hosted a “Pajama Day” dress down day event to raise awareness and funds for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, on behalf of Frankie in the #fightlikefrankie initiative. Students were encouraged, but were not required, to donate $2 to participate.
“Our family thanks all of the families in Ocean City who participated in Pajama Day. Anyone who has visited CHOP knows what a special place it is,” LaSasso said. “It was a great day in our building and really showed unity. My students are so supportive. It makes it easier to come to work every day.”
Students and staff collected $1,035, with the funds going toward daily BINGO prizes for the children at CHOP, toys and activities for the hospital playrooms, bag lunches and gas money for families in need.
“All the proceeds go to CHOP – he doesn’t think much of it. He doesn’t know any different,” LaSasso remarked. “He doesn’t think anything he does is a big deal. He just thinks he is doing the right thing. He is very selfless.”
To learn more about #fightlikefrankie, go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/cwr4sm-fight-like-frankie. More than $18,000 has been raised to date since the GoFundMe site went live last year.
From Frankie’s initial diagnosis in 2020, through today, Frankie receives chemotherapy treatments on a regular basis.
“It is a long road. We are about halfway there. But we are still on track,” LaSasso said.
Frankie is in maintenance currently and receives chemotherapy five days in a row each week. In March, he will receive his last cycle of five consecutive days of chemo and by April 2023, the hope is that he will be done with his treatments, LaSasso explained.
“We are far from finished, but as far as intense chemo and frequent visits to the doctor, we are nearing the end of that portion,” LaSasso said.
While COVID-19 is always a concern, especially since Frankie is immunocompromised, his father said that Frankie attends school and is very careful and follows all of the protocols for his health.
“He is just a champ. He comes home from school to do his homework and he only misses school for treatment,” LaSasso said. “We are on cruise control. We know our final destination is April 2023.”
Frankie’s goal is to once again play baseball beginning in April for the Hammonton Little League and football in August.
Tiffany works from home to keep up with the many medical appointments and, like her husband, be there for their children.
The community support from both Hammonton and Ocean City also helps immensely, LaSasso said.
“We definitely have a ton of support, and we are thankful for support. There are days that are very difficult to go through with Frankie,” LaSasso noted. “It probably feels like we have it all together, but behind closed doors is another story sometimes. That is why the support of so many people helps us so much.”
