Fundraiser at Waterfront Cafe supports La Conner teen battling chronic illness

A La Conner teen who for six years has been fighting rare neuro-immune axis disorders knows he isn’t waging the battle alone.

Frank Scott, III was surrounded by family, friends and admirers who opened their hearts to the young man’s plight at the Waterfront Café Friday evening.

They also opened their wallets and purses – to the tune of $5,300 – to help pay for his upcoming visit to the Metrodora Institute near Salt Lake City where Scott will receive treatment for the chronic debilitating symptoms that have plagued him for nearly a third of his life.

The money raised Friday was from supporters attending a free prime rib dinner fundraiser at the café, which each year provides a free community Thanksgiving meal. Attendees then make free will offerings.

The soft-spoken, unfailingly polite Scott was able to attend part of the three-hour event.

“At this moment, I’m feeling okay,” he told the Weekly News. “But, in general, I’ve been pretty sick. I’ve had to be on a lot of meds, some of which have made me sicker. And then when I get on new meds, I get anxious not knowing if they’re going to work.”

His mom, Becky Scott, who formerly owned a First Street coffee shop, said her son has undergone treatments at Seattle Children’s Hospital and made five separate trips over several years to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and the Cincinnati Center for Eosinophilic Disorders.

Thus far, none of the treatments nor medications have totally stabilized him, she said. His symptoms present primarily as nausea and vomiting, often triggered around food and movement.

The younger Scott did enjoy a sweet spot for eight months between February and October of 2021 when treatment and medication meshed well enough that he was able to attend school, resume hiking and enjoy some normalcy.

Among those attending the fundraiser here last week was Jason Leander, once Scott’s teacher at the Northwest Career and Technical Academy.

“Frank is a great kid,” said Leander. “Frank came to us in 2021 and was an outstanding student, but wasn’t able to finish because of his health.”

After an auto accident in the fall of 2021 Scott’s symptoms worsened and treatments became less effective.

Still, Scott and his family remain hopeful. They were buoyed by the level of support evident at the Waterfront Café.

“This is a wonderful turnout,” said Scott’s dad, also named Frank Scott, who does landscape work in and around La Conner.

“There are people here who I don’t even know,” he said.

It’s easy to see how the teenaged Scott has so many people in his corner. By all accounts and despite the uncertainty of his health, he remains considerate, compassionate and empathetic.

“He has the most beautiful and giving heart,” his mom said.

It is a brave heart, too, given all he’s been through.

The next step is fast approaching. Scott will see Metrodora’s co-founding doctor at the end of June. Care and treatment there, however, is self-pay only.

For now, financial worries are being set aside. The big investment is in finding a course of action that pays off in renewed health and well-being for a young man whose interests range from history to exploring the outdoors to keeping abreast of new technologies.

“He has had his life on hold for so long and all milestones have come and gone as he awaits treatment with positive outcomes,” Becky Scott said in a recent social media post. “My wish is for a complete diagnosis of the driver of his disease which leads to a cure.”

Short of that, she said, the goal is “at minimum, a quality of life for our son that brings him some semblance of normalcy and joy that is sustainable.”