WALKER — A Livingston Parish teen, who is battling Duchenne muscular dystrophy and heart failure is about to have his dream come true.
When Brandi Posey asked her 19-year-old son, Blake, what he most wanted to do, he said he wanted to see Christian music artist Forrest Frank in concert.
The Poseys’ friends rallied around them, creating a GoFundMe and organizing fundraisers at local restaurants to help raise for the family to drive to Austin, Texas, at the end of this month to see Forrest Frank. Friends tell UWK that they have now raised enough money to send the family to Texas to see the concert.
Blake also had a follow-up appointment this week and Brandi told UWK that it went well, and he doesn’t go back to the doctor until the beginning of September.
Original story
WALKER — The community is coming together to help make a 19-year-old Livingston Parish man’s final wish come true. Today, July 20, the public has a chance to help.
Brandi and Barry Posey adopted Blake and his two brothers, Brandon and Dylan in 2015, when Blake was 8-years-old. Around that same time, Blake was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
“He was able to walk for a couple years, but he’s been in a wheelchair for several years now,” said his mom, Brandi.
In December of 2025, Blake had a pacemaker put in, and since then has been in and out of the hospital, once around Mardi Gras, and again at the beginning of the summer. Then, a couple of weeks ago at a routine doctor’s appointment, the Poseys received unexpected news.
“The heart doctor was very concerned about his heart and said it’s pretty much failing. The doctor said he needed to be admitted into the hospital to try out a new medication to see how the medication worked with his body,” Brandi explained. “It was kind of a shock to all of us, lots of emotions, lots of tears shed,” Brandi said.
Blake was hospitalized for four days, and has a follow-up appointment later this week.
Brandi said Blake has been making some improvements, and has recently been interested in getting out of the house more.
“We went to the movies on Saturday. I think that’s good because even like a month ago, even leaving the house for 30 to 45 minutes was taking a lot out of him,” she said. “He was able to go to church service, both church services on Sunday, and that’s a big deal for him too.”
Blake’s wish
Now, Blake’s family and friends want to make sure that he is living his life to the fullest, and getting to do everything he wants.
“When we were talking to him the other night that making sure he understood everything that was going on, I just kind of said, ‘Blake, what do you want to do?,’ Brandi recalled. “And he said, ‘I want to go see Forrest Frank.'”
Frank is a Christian musical artist who is on a national tour right now.
The next day, Brandi, who works at Pards Daycare and Summer camp, was talking with a women named Amanda who was dropping her kids off.
“She came in and she was checking on me,” Brandi said. “I was telling her that we talked to him, and that he just wants to go see Forrest Frank. She was like, ‘Okay, I got you.’ And then after that, she and Cammi just kind of started making it happen.”
Amanda Patin and Cammi Shaffett set up a GoFundMe to raise money for the Poseys to go to Frank’s concert at the end of the month in Austin, TX. “They’re making they’re making it happen for him. I’m kind of speechless about everything that’s going on,” Brandi said.
On top of the GoFundMe, Sombrero’s of Walker is donating 15% of all proceeds today, July 20, to the Poseys. The fundraiser runs until 9:30 Monday night. The restaurant is hoping to help get Blake and his family to the Forrest Frank concert.
All of the money raised between the fundraiser and GoFundMe will go toward concert tickets for the family, hotel accommodations, travel expenses, meals, and any additional costs that will allow the family to focus on making memories and spending quality time together.
“Blake is a man of very few words around people, but I think it would really mean a lot to him,” Brandi said. “He loves music in general. He loves all types of music. And then Forrest Frank, the testimony that he has, I think it would just be really a good thing for Blake.”
The Poseys are hoping to make it to the concert in Austin on July 30.
“I’m just very grateful for the community and everybody,” Brandi said. “I’m grateful to Cammi and Amanda. It’s an unexpected blessing. We weren’t expecting any of this at all, and it’s it’s really great to see the community and come together and try to make make it happen for him. I’m very grateful for that.”
You can donate to Blake’s GoFundMe here.
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