Passing of Disabled Navy Veteran-Family needs help

Craig Nystrom Jr. succumbed to a prolonged illness on Sept.28, 2024. Craig was a US Navy veteran who served onboard the USS Saratoga, receiving a medal for assisting in antiterrorism operations off the coast of Libya. His assignment eventually led to multiple health issues later in life, caused by his asbestos exposure back in the 80’s, while onboard ship.

Craig and I met in 1992 and would have celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary this December. He was my best friend. In 2001, we would face our first battle with illness when he was diagnosed with stomach cancer and had part of his stomach removed. Unfortunately, 5 years later, the remaining portion was completely taken out. Throughout the rest of his life, his health steadily declined. He faced battles with hypoglycemia, persistent vomiting, anemia, migraines, heart rate issues, hypothyroidism, and chronic pain. Due to lack of nutrition, which caused osteoporosis, his bones broke very easily. He was not a surgical candidate to repair them, leaving him with permanently broken legs, shoulder, ankles, feet and toes and 100% bedridden. Our future became much more challenging, making him fully dependent on me. My strapping 6’5” tall beautiful blue eyed husband was now skeletal, but to me I only saw the same handsome man I married almost 30 years prior.

I was his full time caregiver. Throughout the years friends would often say, “I don’t know how you do it, something like this would end most marriages”. I never understood that since we took our marriage vows to heart, specifically “in sickness and in health…” In our three decades together, he was ill far more years than he was ever healthy. It was just normal life to me. I was simply married to the kindest, most loving, funny, intelligent, handsome and generous man I had ever known. In the end, the asbestosis left his lungs full of blood clots and pleural effusions, leaking and collapsing and yet his will to live and faith in God never wavered. He fought harder than any person I’ve ever known, but as he always said, “I’ll do everything I can to fight this, but the rest is in God’s hands”

The reality of his passing, the uncertainty of my future without him, and the immensity of these financial burdens has me asking for help when I never thought I would have to.