Craig`s Fight for His Family and His Life

WE NEED YOUR HELP! Craig has been doing it tough. Struck down with a very rare cancer, Craig is in the fight of his life. Literally.

To all of Craig and Kim’s family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, friends of friends, strangers and general well-wishers,

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Craig has been doing it tough. Struck down with a very rare cancer, Craig is in the fight of his life. Literally.

Less than 12 months ago, just after the birth of his second child, Michael, Craig found a lump in his chest. After some invasive tests, it was found that he had a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour, a form of cancer of the connective tissue surrounding nerves. This type of cancer is incredibly rare, even more so when it’s in the torso, rather than the limbs, and represents less than 1% of cancer sufferers. The last case Craig’s surgeon saw in a patient’s torso was 30 years ago. Because it is so rare, little research has been done in this area and treatment options are limited. It’s very aggressive and survival rates are frighteningly low.

Craig has undergone multiple surgeries, intense 72 hour-long chemotherapy sessions, radiotherapy and is taking endless amounts of medication.

Last week, Craig had invasive surgery to remove his right arm, collar bone, shoulder blade, 5 ribs and half a lung. His choice was to lose these things, or face certain death. Craig chose life. He chose the possibility of seeing his boys go to school. Of standing by his wife, Kim.

Craig was incredible and an inspiration post-surgery. Smiling, laughing and so amazingly positive, he said “this is a small price to pay to see my boys grow up”. He’s going to do everything in his power to beat this cancer.

But the fight isn’t over.

This surgery has given Craig a fighting chance, but now he and Kim have the tense wait to find out if it’s worked. And in the meantime, Craig has to learn how to do things without his arm and with his reduced lung capacity. He requires rehabilitation, their home and car need modifications made and they need to purchase specialised equipment just so that Craig can perform normal everyday tasks. Add these expenses on top of increasingly endless medical bills and this family is now under very serious financial strain. Craig has not been able to work since his diagnosis and Kim is the main carer for Craig and their two sons, Daniel (3) and Michael (1), so unable to work either. Their home is one they rent and they are unable to make these extensive modifications to it. They need to move as soon as possible to a home where they can do these things.

What I am asking of you, is to donate whatever you can to help this young family. Anything you can donate will make a difference. Who knows, maybe we could raise enough for them to buy their own home, a blessing in this never ending nightmare.

The situation Kim and Craig are in is one none of us would ever want to be in. Let’s show them they’re not alone and try to take a little bit of the burden from their shoulders.