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To Die With Dignity: My Young Husband’s Final Wish Came With a $65,000 Price Tag
My husband, Craig, didn’t want to spend his last days in the hospital. His fight with bladder cancer then became a battle to get him hospice care at home.
TL;DR
- The author's husband, Craig, battled bladder cancer and wished to die at home rather than in the hospital.
- Fulfilling his wish required expensive private nursing and medical supplies, costing over $65,000, which they raised through crowdfunding.
- Craig expressed his final wishes, including a specific burial plan, and recorded a video message to friends and family before his passing.
- The author faced challenges with New York's Medicaid system, which does not compensate spouses for caregiving.
- Despite the financial burden and emotional toll, the author was able to care for Craig at home until his death in their Brooklyn apartment.
- The article touches on the eventual passing of medical aid in dying legislation in New York, which Craig would have qualified for.