Chrissy Frahm receives Ann Phillips Award
Each year, members of the Matlacha Hookers select one area resident to receive a special memorial award. This award, named for the late Ann Phillips, is presented to the person the group feels best exemplifies courage and inspiration. The award was developed by the Hookers several years ago and the criteria for nominations states, “to be presented to a woman who has risen above adversity and put her own personal struggles aside while continuing to keep a positive attitude and contribute to the community.” This year’s Ann Phillips Memorial Award for Courage was presented to island resident, Chrissy Frahm.
“I fee very honored to have been chosen for this award,” said Frahm. “I had no idea why I was asked to come to the meeting, so I was very surprised.”
During the March monthly meeting of the Hookers, Pastor Heidi Grueser from Pine Island Community Church related some of Chrissy’s struggles as well as accomplishments via a written message.
“Chrissy Frahm was diagnosed with brain cancer in June of 2007, but has not let this disease stop her from living. She has given of herself selflessly and she began immediately after her first surgery by collecting crazy band-aids and hats for children with cancer,” Grueser wrote. “During that time, she was gifted with a puppy and over the past two years has trained her dog, Gabriel, to be a pet-therapy dog for the Children’s Cancer wing in the hospital. During Chrissy’s two brain surgeries, her family stayed in the Ronald McDonald House and since their visit, Chrissy has been collecting pop-tabs to help raise money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Then, this past December, Chrissy asked our youth group and church family at Pine Island Community to write letters to Santa Claus to help raise money for ‘Give Kids the World’. Chrissy raised over $400.”
According to Grueser, Chrissy recently finished her first semester at Edison College and plans to continue in the summer, however Chrissy recently suffered a setback. In January, she underwent her second brain surgery and at the moment is taking a new kind of chemotherapy her doctors have labeled as “Chrissy Cocktail.”
Grueser went on to say, “Over the past two and a half years, Chrissy has walked as a survivor in the Relay for Life events as well as at Breast Fest. She is an inspiration to us all. I have had the honor of being Chrissy’s pastor and I have experienced amazing miracles through this young lady. She lives her life for others and serves God by loving other hurting families and children. She is a young woman who truly lives her life.”
The Ann Phillips Award for Courage first came about when Buzzy Phillips approached the Hookers with a donation and a request on behalf of his late wife who, in addition to being an active member of the Pine Island community, also was a dedicated member of the Matlacha Hookers.
“I don’t think the Hookers could have selected a better person for this year’s award,” Phillips said. “Chrissy reminds me so much of a younger Ann, and I am very proud of her.”
According to Phillips, his wife suffered for many years with a variety of debilitating conditions and diseases, ranging from detached retinas, osteoporosis, and ovarian cancer.
“Despite all of this, Ann never complained and was rarely without a smile. while on oxygen, I was instructed to get a 30-foot tube and move the oxygen to out on our deck so that Ann would not miss water aerobics with her ‘girls of summer’. Ann was the first one on the dance floor and could nurse one glass of wine for at least an hour,” Phillips said. “I, and my children, are proud that the Hookers have named this award after her and we thank the Hookers for this honor.”
Past recipients of the Ann Phillips Memorial Award for Courage include Marleen Skeen and Cookie Zigler.