Meet The Duo

Hello there! We are Francis Duo Studios, we are a young couple on this journey called life. We met and fell in love in 2017. In early 2021 life seemed pretty good given the rebuild of everything after the pandemic. Then our lives seemed to have flipped upside down. Diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, we began a battle we never expected, a battle we will be fighting for the rest of our lives as there is currently no cure for PPMS. After many ups and downs, more diagnoses's and everything life was throwing at us, we hung on to each other and our children. 

We eventually lost the home we worked so hard to build and sustain. Losing materials was one thing but the memories lost were another. In the end we had each other.  Moving 2 hours away and trying to start over and rebuild, this is our story...

*Jessica- I am a 36 year old mom of 3, I was diagnosed with PPMS at 31 years old. Chronic Pain and Fatigue, Depression, Cognitive Issues, PBA or Pseudobulbar Affect, all of the treatments, medications, physical therapy, even working a few hours a day from home became to much at the time. Stress is the worst enemy of my PPMS. I do not say that lightly, as it has riddled my body to a point I was unable to walk or move. 

I ended up leaving my occupation in e-commerce after almost 10 years. Drawing became the only thing I could do that helped me focus on something other then the pain or things falling apart around me. Watching my children grow up and not being able to even leave my bed most days was the hardest. It made me want to make things better again. I wanted so bad to give them the world that was currently falling apart around them. They knew what was going on, I didn't hide it from them. They saw how hard it was for their parents, but also saw the way love, patience and time was stronger than anything. 

My partner Roger stepped up not only as a step dad back in 2017 but he really stepped up as a husband when I needed him most, he worked 50+ hours a week, while also helping take care of the kids and trying to help me to even take care of myself most days. It became too much when he was diagnosed with Diabetes. Even through his own depression he was there as a father and husband.

Feeling better the last 6-9 months we have moved into a smaller home 2 hours away, to try and start over and rebuild our lives. My art became a resource for me, kind of like a therapy, now I want to provide not just my art but my story behind my art as a resource for others. To show others to not give up when times get hard. PPMS isn't the end of my journey it began a new one, a beautiful one, filled with love, self discovery, kindness, patience and more! I hope our story inspires at least one person every day! If you purchase our designs I hope it brings you joy and strength!

*Roger- I am 33 years old, father of 5, 3 being my partners of 8 years though I think of and treat them as my own! In 2021 mine and my family's lives changed forever when Jessica was diagnosed with PPMS. 

Since then I have tried to help as much as I can while also working and even picking up hours since Jessica could no longer work. 2022 I was diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes. When I got diagnosed I went into a deep depression for a few weeks. I knew I had to keep it together for my family though and tried my best to pay the bills, helping with the kids, helping around the house as much as I could. 

I was a Sales Manager at a car lot for 4 years. With all of doctors appointments for the 2 of us, Jessica's treatments, the kids appointments, the kids school (we did a lot of homeschooling), Jessica battling the symptoms and mental drain from her PPMS really took a tole on things. I had to take a step back from working away from home. Work from home jobs weren't paying enough to sustain our life we built so hard to build. Then one day it fell apart. Leaving things behind we could not take to a smaller home meant we were leaving memories behind.

We have since moved and I am currently working full-time while helping Jessica with Francis Duo Studios. We hope to be able to one day run the studio full time together!  We want our art to serve a purpose, through our story and designs!

Thank you for reading our story! We hope it and our art inspires you to keep going even when things get tough!