Meet Angel Frank, Gloves for Grief Director of Communications

Angel is a believer, a daughter, a wife, a mother, and a friend. She has been blessed with a supportive husband and enjoys building a life they both created together. She adores her daughter Alyvia and loves nothing more in this world than being her mom. She is a self-proclaimed foodie, a Swiftie, a lover of travel, and above all—an avid Disney fan.

Angel is no stranger to grief; because of this, being a board member of Gloves for Grief is something that she holds very near and dear to her heart. In 2007, she had her first experience with grief when her paternal grandfather passed away, just three months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. As a young college student, dealing with grief was an unexplored territory that she did not quite know how to navigate. Despite the devastation, this loss pivoted her life into a new direction that resulted in her pursuing a different career; this led her into the nursing field where she pursued and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in nursing. In the last twelve years, she dedicated her nursing career to taking care of her patients in various capacities as a nurse in subICU/COVID unit, neuro-tele, and peri-operative services, as well as a palliative care nursing.

As a nurse, Angel quickly became familiar with the dying process and the raw emotions that accompany it. She also saw first-hand the after-effects of unprocessed and compounded grief as part of being in the business of life and death. As she grew beyond the boundaries of a novice nurse, she devoted her career to improving patient outcomes while simultaneously helping her patients navigate through loss—much like she had to when her “papalolo” died.

She has had her fair share of losses since becoming a nurse: she lost patients, some friends, and has since lost her remaining grandparents during the pandemic.

Recently, she also lost a family member suddenly through Leukemia. More devastating than any other loss, however, was the loss of her son Avery Frankie via a missed miscarriage. One frightful day in September of 2022, she learned during a routine ultrasound at thirteen weeks that her son’s heart had stopped beating—it was an unforgettable day that forever changed her life.

Although some circumstances that she has faced may have been unfortunate, she believes that every heartbreak that she has endured has been instrumental in her life’s redirection. Through every loss, her grieving heart has led her here—to serve as the secretary of this organization. Her hope is that one day—society can get past the stigma surrounding grief so that no one ever has to grieve in silence nor have to suffer alone. Along with her grave desire to raise awareness, she is passionate about reaching those who may be struggling in the darkness of their grief and yet are too afraid to ask for help for themselves. She believes that there is a blessing in the breaking and while she regrets to meet you here under whatever premise or pain that your heart is carrying because of your loss, she is thankful that you came. More than anything, she hopes that you continue to grieve in whichever way your heart needs to today and every day.