Mum told baby boy would likely die – he now asks heart-wrenching question years later

Mum told baby boy would likely die – he now asks heart-wrenching question years later Frank Baziak, eight, from Malahide, was given just a 1% chance of survival as a newborn and now asks his parents 'Will I ever be healthy?' - as his family race to raise €1,000 for a medical report into his care A little boy told at birth he had just a 1% chance of making it through the night is now eight-years-old — but his fight is far from over. Now, Frank Baziak asks his parents a question they cannot bring themselves to answer: "Will I ever be healthy?" Frank, who lives in Dublin 13 near Malahide, has short bowel syndrome — a rare and life-limiting condition that the NHS describes as occurring when the small intestine does not work properly or a large portion of it is missing. In Frank's case, the consequences have been devastating. He has just 35cm of functioning intestine remaining, compared to up to 500cm that a healthy child his age would have. Without enough bowel to absorb the nutrients the body needs, patients like Frank must rely on intravenous feeding — sometimes for life. According to the NHS, short bowel syndrome can cause severe complications including malnutrition, dehydration, fatigue and a significantly weakened immune system — all of which Frank experiences. He is fed through a central line and a PEG tube, and must be connected to Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) — a method of delivering nutrients directly into the bloodstream — every single day. Frank's story was first told earlier this year, when his parents Anna and Marcin launched a GoFundMe campaign to fund a specialist medical report. Thanks in large part to the generosity of readers, more than €3,000 (approx £2,500) has already been raised — but time is running out. The family have been told they must secure the remaining €1,000 (approx £850) by the end of September, or their solicitor will be forced to abandon the case entirely. Anna told us this week: "The initial response to the fundraiser and the story was really amazing, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who supported us." She added: "If we don't manage to raise the money by the end of September, all the work our solicitor has done so far could unfortunately come to nothing, as he would have to end his work on the case. It would be absolutely heartbreaking for all of us, but especially for Frank, because more than anything, he wants to finally understand the truth and find out why all of this happened to him." The family's story is one no parent could ever prepare for. Anna and Marcin, both formerly working as chefs, had dreamed of an ordinary life in Dublin — raising their children and enjoying the simple things. Their eldest, Maja, was born in 2015. Two years later, Frank arrived at the same Dublin hospital, appearing by every measure to be a big, healthy, thriving newborn. He fed well. He slept. He was calm. The family went home filled with joy. Within days, everything changed. Frank stopped feeding. He became inconsolable and restless, and his skin began turning a deepening shade of yellow. Anna and Marcin, growing increasingly alarmed, raised their concerns with a community nurse, who they say advised them simply to monitor him. It is a decision that still haunts the family. "To this day we ask ourselves, what if someone had said, 'please go to the hospital immediately,'" Anna said. "Perhaps our son's life would look completely different today." The following morning, Frank woke screaming and vomiting a dark green substance. His parents rushed him to hospital, where medics immediately transferred him to Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin. A surgical team was already waiting. "That was the moment our entire world collapsed," Anna recalled. Frank underwent emergency surgery lasting several hours. Surgeons discovered his intestines had become completely twisted and had turned necrotic — black, without blood supply. Doctors delivered the news no parent should ever receive: their son had a 1% chance of surviving the night. "There are no words to describe what we felt at that moment," Anna said. "We were also told that another hour at home could have resulted in our child's death." Surgeons untwisted and repositioned the intestines during that first procedure. Three days later, a second operation was required, during which 200cm of his 250cm of intestines were removed. A third surgery followed during his stay in intensive care, leaving Frank with just 35cm of bowel — a fraction of what is needed to sustain life independently. "From the very first days of his life, our child knew mostly pain," Anna told us. That pain has never truly left him. His early years were defined by surgeries, injections, tubes, and long, frightening nights alone in hospital. When the family were eventually allowed to go home, the hospital, in many ways, came with them. Anna and Marcin spent countless hours training with medical staff to learn how to keep their son alive, managing his TPN lines and monitoring him around the clock. The NHS notes that caring for a child with short bowel syndrome places enormous strain on families, with many parents taking on the role of full-time medical carers. For Anna and Marcin, that has been their reality for eight years. When Frank was younger, he found it easier to accept his circumstances. Now, the questions have started — and they cut deep. "How much longer will this last?" he asks. "Will I ever be healthy?" His parents do not have the answers. Frank breaks down in tears regularly, longing to understand why his life looks so different from those of his classmates and friends. The emotional toll is profound. Anna is clear that Frank's condition is not only a physical burden — it is a psychological one too. "The family are increasingly witnessing their son's sadness, frustration and tears as he struggles to comprehend why his life is so vastly different from other children," she said. Yet even amid the heartbreak, Frank continues to surprise his parents with moments of extraordinary courage and joy. In August 2025, the family welcomed a new baby, Antoni, and Anna said he has served as a reminder "that life can still bring love and goodness". "We are still trying to live a normal life," she said. "We continue fighting for our children's happiness. We try to smile, even though our hearts have been shattered many times." The €4,000 specialist medical report the family are fundraising for cannot be carried out in Ireland and receives no public funding. Beyond potentially identifying whether a medical error occurred in the six days following Frank's birth, it could open the door to additional treatment options and provide the family with greater financial support in managing his lifelong care needs. Most importantly for Anna and Marcin, it would give them something to tell their son. "We want to know that we did absolutely everything possible to fight for his future," Anna said. "And finally, we hope to find at least a little peace." This week, Anna also revealed that Frank had recently been hospitalised after suffering a severe bout of food poisoning. Because of his compromised immune system and the near-total absence of his intestines, his body is far more vulnerable to infection than most — a reality the family must navigate every single day. As for the question Frank keeps asking regarding being healthy again, Anna said simply: "That question really captures what he has been going through and how much he wants a normal, healthy life." To make a donation on the fundraising page, you can do so here