MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

Andrew Kaczynski, wife will 'spend rest of their lives finding cure' for cancer after losing daughter Francesca

The CNN reporter wrote on Twitter that he and his wife would spend the money they have raised to finding a cure for cancer

The infant daughter of CNN reporter Andrew Kaczynski and Rachel Louise Ensign died on Christmas Eve, with the father sharing the news of Francesca 'Bean' Kaczynski's passing on Twitter and asking his followers to add her to their prayers. The Internet mourned the loss of Kaczynski's 9-month-old daughter, who lost her life after battling cancer; on Saturday Kaczynski wrote, "In her short life, Francesca was an outgoing, bold and curious baby. She had huge, deep brown eyes that followed whatever her parents were doing. She loved eating and being held close, particularly in the evenings."

He added, "Her many smiles sent a thrill through the world. She was so generous with them, even when most of the smiles back were covered by masks and even when she faced challenges that would scare an adult, like a cancer diagnosis or being born with hearing loss." Kaczynski added that any donations would go toward cancer treatment and research. "In lieu of flowers, food, or gifts of any kind, donations can be made in honor of Francesca to the PMC Winter Cycle charity event, which donates 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar directly to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute."

In the obituary written by Kaczynski and his wife Rachel, they spoke about Francesca's favorite indulgences, "One of her favorite activities was to practice rolling in her crib from side to side. She loved seeing her parents, Andrew Kaczynski and Rachel Ensign, and greeting them with the world's biggest smile and an excited kick when she woke up from a nap. Her many smiles sent a thrill through the world. She was so generous with them, even when most of the smiles back were covered by masks and even when she faced challenges that would scare an adult, like a cancer diagnosis or being born with hearing loss."

On Saturday, Kaczynski tweeted an update regarding the donations and wrote, "Thank you, everyone, your messages have touched our hearts. We're so grateful for how much money has been raised in Francesca's honor for Dana Farber to fight this terrible disease and we are going to spend the rest of our lives involved in finding a cure." Kaczynski also tweeted, "I know a lot of you didn’t know Beans before her cancer diagnosis in September. She had such a pep in her step before she started treatment. And we’re so fortunate she got six normal months of life. This was from the end of July."

Francesca was diagnosed with an 'extremely rare and very aggressive rhabdoid brain tumor' in September. When Kaczynski had announced about his daughter's illness, he said, "Francesca is the strongest person and most resilient person," and added, "Less than a week ago she had two brain surgeries and she's already at home and smiling. I'm confident she will fight this."

She infant underwent brain surgery at this point, but after undergoing brain surgery she suffered complications and developed meningitis. The complications became bigger when she was faced with a fungal infection as a result of complications from chemotherapy and subsequently placed onto a ventilator and life support.