Real World San Diego's Frankie Dies

[PeppyGPhiB]

'Real World: San Diego' Alum Frankie Abernathy Dead At 25
Housemate's struggle with cystic fibrosis was featured on 2004 show.

Frankie Abernathy, the punk rock-adoring former "Real World: San Diego" housemate whose struggle with cystic fibrosis helped to further raise national awareness about the chronic lung disease, died Saturday evening in her mother Abbie Hunter's Shorewood, Wisconsin, home. An official cause of death has yet to be determined; Abernathy was 25.

According to Hunter, Abernathy was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis — a hereditary disease that causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive tract — at the age of 3. She is survived by a sister, Mamie; her mother; stepfather Perry, and her dad, Joe Abernathy, who now resides in Texas.

"It was very sudden," her mother said. "It wasn't something that was expected. She was doing fine, and we really don't know very much yet. It still was kind of a shock, and it just wasn't how we figured things would go. It seems like her little body just gave out."

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/156...612/id_0.jhtml

[REE1993]

I have CF, and it sucks completely. May she rest in peace.

RW-SD was one of my favorite seasons and I really liked Frankie. Many prayers to her family, her cast, and all who knew her.

[Senusret I]

omg this is really sad.

[KSigkid]

It's really sad to see someone go through the rigors of cystic fibrosis. May she rest in peace.

[Sister Havana]

Very sad. I liked her.

[TotallyWicked]

WOW

not being funny, it's a real shame how she was portrayed on tv, I don't think they caught a good angle of her at all, my condolences go to her family

[PM_Mama00]

Originally Posted by TotallyWicked

WOW

not being funny, it's a real shame how she was portrayed on tv, I don't think they caught a good angle of her at all, my condolences go to her family

I agree. I always felt bad for her and was sad when she left.

[SoCalGirl]

I don't recall them ever mentioning CF when she was on the show. RIP

[Animate]

Aww man. Condolences to the family.

[kstar]

Originally Posted by SoCalGirl

I don't recall them ever mentioning CF when she was on the show. RIP

She only did, like twice. It was so stupid of her to smoke, then again, she was the cutter wasn't she?

[SoCalGirl]

Yes she was the cutter. I thought of her this weekend when the cashier at Henry's had some serious scars on her arms.

[sunnyhibiscus]

That's terrible to hear that.

[REE1993]

I had read in several interviews that she didn't make mention of CF so that the others wouldn't identify her as "the sick girl".

The few times it was an issue on the show was:

• the first night they were all drinking and smoking on the deck, she told everyone and some of them kind of freaked out
• when working on the boat in the damp weather, she requested time off the boat, which was met with disdain from the boss. (People with CF have very irritable airways, and damp, cold, very dry or very humid air can make the smaller airways collapse (like in asthma), making it much harder to clear the gunk in there).
• when she was very upset and possibly sick, she was dragging around her blanket and curled up under the stairs, and she was coughing
• when someone questioned her smoking

CF is an incidious disease. Years ago, many kids didn't make it a few years. When I was born, they said I wouldn't see kindergarten, then HS, then 25... and the median life expectancy is 36-37. However, as patients live longer due to treatments and preventive measures, other organs are failing and complicate quality of life.

For what it's worth, my chapter has nominated the CF Foundation for Gamma Sig's national 2-year project, and my alumnae chapter has already voted them as one of our pet service groups. If anyone is interested in working with the Foundation, the web address is below. There are a lot of events to work on, or you can have your own fundraiser. There is no cure, and not likely in any of our lifetimes, but research can make, and has made, the difference between 5 years and 35 years.