A FAMILY has been left with no choice but to launch a desperate appeal to the community after receiving a devastating diagnosis.
Paul and Anna Sprague, who live near Wellington, have been struggling through medical testing since January this year, receiving answers just three weeks ago when the 38-year-old man was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.
Paul, who Anna describes as an ‘amazing’ and ‘strong’ man is set to undergo his first round of radical chemo and radiotherapy next week.
SUPPORT: Anna and Paul Sprague
He has been diagnosed with stage four ‘life-limiting’ cancer in his throat which has spread to his lymph nodes.
As the loving father of one daughter and two step sons is self employed as a carpenter, it has left the family with unexpected expenses and no way to fund them.
To tackle this, and advised to, the family has set up a gofundme page to try and aid the costs of childcare and the extra expenses.
“We never wanted to have to ask for help in this way,” Anna said.
“My son has learning disabilities so is in need of high levels of support.
“We have extra childcare costs now, for the other two as well, which works out at roughly £360 per week for all three children. This is to cover daily hospital visits for treatment.
“In a short space of nine weeks Paul is having roughly four/five lots of chemotherapy and 35 lots of radiotherapy.
“We get no help with out of work benefits, so we’ve been left to swallow our pride and ask for help.
“It’s got to the point where we need to now, in order to be able to support our family and pay extra expenses.”
Paul, an active man who loved to work creating beautiful furniture, has been left a shell of himself after living on a medicated liquid diet for around six weeks, while he’s waiting for an operation for a stomach feed tube.
HARD-WORKING: An example of Paul's work
Paul this week has also had all his teeth removed so he can start the radical daily cancer treatment, but knowing he has his daughter and his family to care for has given him hope to keep going.
“He owns his own business, he was so active,” Anna said.
“Everyone says how funny he is. He’d do anything for anyone, and gets on with everyone. He’s so loved.”
The money the family receives from generous donations to the page will go towards childcare for the three children and extra costs for the family.
Anna added: “He’s so amazing, and so strong. It’s heart breaking to watch, it’s destroying us all.”
To donate to help the family visit gofundme.com/treatment-costs-for-cancer.
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