Couple pays over $65,000 for home hospice care in Brooklyn
Shannon, a 37-year-old woman, describes how she and her husband Craig, 49, spent over $65,000 to fulfill his wish to die at home from bladder cancer. The money was raised from friends and family, much of it via a GoFundMe campaign. Craig was hospitalized at NYU Langone in Manhattan in December 2024 and only allowed home discharge with private nursing and hospice in place. Private nursing cost $5,000 to $7,000 per week, while home hospice covered just one nurse visit per week. Craig was laid off from his job in late 2023, three days before starting chemotherapy, and the couple lost access to life insurance they could not afford to continue. Shannon notes that under New York law, spouses cannot be paid as caregivers through Medicaid, forcing her to stop working. Craig died at home in their Brooklyn apartment after being transferred from the hospital.
What’s reported
Craig had bladder cancer and was in the ICU at NYU Langone hospital in December 2024.
The cost to bring him home for hospice care was over $65,000, raised from friends and family.
Private nursing service cost $5,000 to $7,000 per week for a registered nurse five to seven hours per day.
Home hospice covered only one nurse visit per week.
Craig was laid off three days before starting chemotherapy in late 2023 without warning.
Spouses in New York cannot be paid as caregivers through the state’s consumer-directed care program under Medicaid.
Craig’s hemoglobin was half of what it should be, and he had severe anemia.
He recorded a video message to friends and family from the ICU and posted it on Instagram and Facebook.
The first $45,000 was raised through GoFundMe.
Open questions
The article does not specify the exact final amount raised beyond “over $65,000” and the first $45,000 from GoFundMe. It also does not detail how long Craig was at home before his death.
Key figures
Craig (husband, patient)
Shannon (wife, author)
Sara (friend who drove Craig to 39 radiation appointments)
Shannon’s mother and sister
NYU palliative team and floor doctor
Pharmacy owner who warned against hospice facilities
Social worker on floor 17
Sources: The Guardian
