A month ago, Hartford County resident Josh Chaffee, of Enfield, started a new job, closed on a house with his wife Michelle and was anticipating the birth of his son in July. Now, Josh is being referred to hospice services for a potentially fatal cancer diagnosis.
“On May 22nd, after a beautiful day to shower baby Chaffee, while they both should have been unpacking so many perfect baby boy gifts, Michelle instead found herself at the ER with Josh,” the GoFundMe reads. “The CT scan that night showed swelling and a mass on his brain and in that very moment their world completely fell apart.”
After several hospital stays, doctors’ appointments, a biopsy and “what felt like years of waiting,” Josh was officially diagnosed with a High Grade (4) Glioblastoma. That was the moment Josh and Michelle realized how little time they could have left together.
The couple, which reconnected after meeting 12 years ago, threw together a wedding ceremony in less than 24 hours to commemorate their love. Some 35 people came to the ceremony that occurred outside a hospital where Josh is getting treatment.
“Today was ‘perfect,’” Michelle’s brother Bryan said about the wedding. “Perfect is a relative term. None of this is perfect, none of this is fair, none of this is right.”
While Josh and Michelle are never the type to ask for help, they need help covering the cost of Josh’s medical bills, finishing projects around the house and preparing baby Chaffee's arrival.
People can support Josh and Michelle by donating to the GoFundMe. The campaign has raised more than $76,000 of its $90,000 goal as of Wednesday, June 15. People can donate by clicking here.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Stratford and receive free news updates.