Support Craig Turner's Fight Against Stage 4 Cancer

2020 changed for a lot of people. The world shut down that March, loved ones and friends got sick, and many passed away from the virus known as covid19. December 2020 changed for me in a very personal way. I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Prostate Cancer. I was very hopeful about the treatment pills and appointments to my then doctor in Silver Spring, Maryland. As time went on, I decided to move back home in North Carolina with my mom and pops as I began a career that had been a goal of mine for a while. I became a flight attendant and couldn’t have been more happy about it. I worked for the airline for about 2.5 years before I had to take a leave of absence. My health was declining and I was not able to travel as often as I had done for years leisurely and professionally. I immediately began looking for remote jobs and was hired through an agency as an Accounts Payable Specialist.

In December 2023, I transferred all of my treatments and doctor appointments to Duke Raleigh Hospital. It was there that I was told the cancer had progressed to Stage 4. 10 months later, I am still hopeful, still prayerful, and still trusting God that this is all part of my testimony. However, I will not skip past the fact that that was not news I wanted to hear. There have been a lot of hard days and I mean a lot.

In May 2024, I was let go by the airline because I had exhausted all of my time on unpaid medical leave and I had not worked long enough to apply for FMLA. I was disappointed but knew this was just a temporary situation.

There have been many painful days, hurting days, sad days, uncertain days, and good days but through it all, when it was time to log on for work, I was logged on except for days I had medical appointments in Raleigh. On September 13, 2024, I logged in for the last time as that job came to an end.

Every time there has been another disappointment or setback, I have had to anchor my faith in God and trust that He has not bought me this far to leave me. In this season, I am committed to focusing totally on my healing and recovery as working was overwhelming at times, but was indeed needed and necessary.

My mom has been my rock and has cared for me even through her own grief of losing my grandma and her husband since 2022 and 2023. There are many days when I feel really down that I can’t do as much of anything and she is the one who picks up the slack. I don’t know how she handles it all, but I know we have shared many tears many nights together. My family has rallied around me and have been a blessing to me in so many ways.

I never thought in all my life that at 48 I would be battling Stage 4 Cancer and I surely never thought I would have set up a GoFundMe. The one blessing about this request is I am still in the land of the living to request it. I still have hope. I still believe God. And I still trust that I will be completely healed.

As I focus on my healing, I have set up this request for anyone who would like to lighten the financial hardship of covering medical expenses, monthly obligations and travel to and from Doctor's appointments and be a blessing to me. I may not be able to thank each of you personally, but I am saying thank you in advance for those who have already given and those who will give.

My prayer for any of you reading this is that you never have to face what I am facing and your family will never know the burden this can have on a family unit. God bless you and thank you again for reading part of my story and for being a financial blessing to me.

Much Love To You All,

Craig