Support Craig's Fight Against Cancer

Hello,

My name is Nash Barsaleau and I'm creating this GoFundMe on behalf of my father, Craig. This year has been trying for us all and our family has definitely felt it.

On August 1st, my grandmother, Betty Barsaleau, passed away at the age of 90 after a stay at Charlene Manor nursing home in Greenfield.

On August 4th, my father, Craig, had a stroke at home. He was taken by ambulance to Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, where the doctors did an MRI to find the clot. During the MRI, the imaging showed the clot, as well as a mass on his brain. My father experienced left-sided weakness and much difficulty speaking for hours while the stroke was affecting him. Baystate Franklin was not equipped to deal with the stroke so the possibility of Life Flight to Hartford or Albany was discussed. Thankfully, Baystate Springfield had a bed open up so my dad was taken there and immediately taken into surgery to treat the stroke.

After taking care of the stroke, the doctors did a biopsy of the mass and determined it to be cancerous. My father was diagnosed with a low grade astrocytoma, however, the tumor did show some signs of a higher grade in spots, and has grown since the initial MRI. Yesterday, the 16th, was Craig's first appointment for radiation, and he started chemo last night. My dad has been out of work since the stroke and unfortunately has now used up all of his FMLA time at work. The treatment plan of radiation and chemotherapy has just begun and is set for 5 treatments a week for 6 weeks. My dad is hopeful to return to work once his treatment is over, but it's a long road ahead and for now we could all use some help. If anyone can afford to spare any amount or even just share the fundraiser, it would be greatly appreciated and extremely helpful. My dad is a good man and has worked hard all his life and shouldn't have to worry about living expenses on top of what he's going through. If you have any questions or would like to reach out, please do.

Thank you and happy holidays,

The Barsaleaus