NorCal SCI and the entire SCI Community mourn the passing of co-founder Franklin Elieh

Suddenly on Tuesday morning May 3rd, NorCal SCI co-founder Franklin Elieh passed away as a result of a heart attack.

The entire NorCal SCI Organization is shocked and saddened by this news. Franklin did so much for the SCI community and he is simply irreplaceable. We would like to thank the entire community for their messages of condolence and support.
We are committed to continuing Franklin's vision and legacy to support the SCI community in Northern California.

All of us at NorCal SCI send our thoughts and prayers to his family and loved ones.

The NorCal SCI Team would like to share their own words about Franklin.

Co-founder Nick Struthers

“I first met Franklin on the 9th of August, 2014 at my first Peer Mentor Meeting since my own injury 10 years before. I did not feel I had a role to play as I had recovered nearly all of my function but Franklin assured me that I was an important part of the team. Over the next weeks and months myself and Franklin became friends and I confided in him on my own research on the SCI landscape in Northern California. We both became acutely aware of the need to do more for the patients and family members whom we met on a weekly basis.
Back in 1989 Franklin spent 4 months at Santa Clara Valley in acute rehab before being discharged. After a brief spell returning to work full time, he then spent a further 6 months at a private clinic continuing his rehab in Southern California focussing on his recovery.
Franklin was blessed with a loving family, financial resources not to mention a resilience and determination that allowed him to thrive despite such a devastating injury. Franklin was the living proof that you can thrive and live productively. To put things into perspective, the average length of stay at Santa Clara is now 25 days.
After working with me at another organization, The Patterson Network supporting the SCI community for 2 years, I invited him to co-found a new organization that would do more for the SCI community, Franklin came up with the name and exactly 5 years ago NorCal SCI was born.

Founding Board Members, Carl McGrew, Nick and Franklin

In the very beginning we were simply a website and a Newsletter and after some successful fundraising and extremely generous donations we added our Road to Recovery Program and rolled out our Care Package Program. The weekly newsletter became one of the signature resources of NorCal SCI. I pleaded with Franklin to limit it to once a month as I thought it would be impossible to deliver high quality relevant content on a weekly basis but he was having none of that. 250 weeks later, I wonder who was right?
We were now having more of an impact on the community we needed to serve.
Through Franklin's hard work and tenacity, what NorCal SCI have achieved in 5 short years is nothing less than astounding. Franklin worked tirelessly reaching out to support many individuals who did not have the network or the financial resources to have an opportunity to thrive again after SCI. Simply put, he gave the silent ones a voice. On many calls with the newly injured and their family members, I witnessed first hand his compassion, empathy and encouragement. He inspired so many to believe in themselves and give themselves an opportunity to live life again despite having such a devastating injury.”

Board Member Dave Greenfield

“It was just 2 weeks ago that Franklin lead our board meeting, the 1st live meeting in over 2 years. It was a celebration to meet in person but it was also a profound celebration as we spent the meeting discussing the lease options on a building and the interview plans for our first physical therapist. All of this was the culmination of Franklin’s dream of opening a rehab and exercise facility in Northern California to support the underserved SCI community here.
Now Franklin’s dream defined what made him special in 2 spectacular ways. The first was the selflessness of his dream. He wasn’t dreaming for a more livable home for himself, he was dreaming to help the SCI community, serving others and making a difference. And the second way Franklin’s dream made him special was in his passion, tenacity, enthusiasm and love that created a foundation and a village to help him realize this dream. Franklin exuded action.
Franklin was always innovating, our extremely successful fundraising events "Inspire" was his brainchild, the Equipment program, the innovative virtual series during covid, all Franklin. He surprised us all by securing a $250,000 grant from the Neilsen Foundation to run a program in an innovative way to aid the Newly Injured.

Franklin at Inspire 2019

It is so tragic that as NorCal SCI are on the cusp of their biggest achievement to date, our own facility to provide essential additional rehab to the newly injured, Franklin is no longer with us.
These words on Franklin’s incredible gift for the SCI community fail to capture his warmth and his smile. Franklin was loved by everyone who knew him. That creates a true legacy.”

Board member Tricia Lawrence . . 

“Franklin has been an extraordinary presence in our lives since Jo’s accident 3 1/2 years ago. His friendship and support for Jo have been above and beyond what we could have expected from someone who already had so much on his plate. He always found time for us. It was as if we were the only people in his life he had to think about.  How he multiplied that by a factor of who knows how many, was his true gift. Thank you Franklin, for all you have done for us.  We are going to miss you, your friendship, your wit and humor, your cookie deliveries and just the amazingly fun person you were to be around.”

Board Member Arash Bayatmakou

 “I can say that Franklin profoundly impacted my life. Since my own SCI in 2012, I had never felt confident in my own "broken" body. I never found comfort in talking to someone else with SCI and never sought out peer supporters. But Franklin inspired me so much from the very first moment I met him. Despite his own many challenges, he carried himself with so much confidence and self-assuredness that it allowed me to see that life with a SCI could be rewarding and worth living.”

We always say Rest in Peace. Franklin will be at peace, what he has done for many hundreds of individuals with SCI over the last 14 years simply cannot be measured. As for rest, well Franklin is not the resting type, we know he never did and we believe he never will.

Franklin you are a truly remarkable human being.

Be at peace Franklin.