After the heartbreaking loss of her partner Craig, Sandra found herself grappling with the overwhelming expenses of his funeral. In search of relief, she turned to the RAF Benevolent Fund for assistance. The support she received not only alleviated her financial strain but also provided comfort during an incredibly challenging time.
Craig joined the RAF at the age of 16 and spent his service preparing aircraft for flight. Sadly, Craig’s career was cut short when he was injured on exercise and broke both of his feet. He was airlifted to a military hospital and spent eight months recovering, being told his left foot would need to be amputated. His father fought for a second opinion from the doctors and Craig was able to have surgery to save his foot.
Following his retirement from the RAF, Craig joined the police force working as a special police constable in Cleveland. He then moved into a role as a licensing officer for the local authority.
Sandra met Craig in 2015, and they fell madly in love. In 2018, they decided to take early retirement to spend more time together. Sandra said:
“We both had pensions and so we decided to retire early to enjoy ourselves. We thought that was it, that was us for the rest of our lives together – but six months after we both retired, the worst thing happened to him. It was horrendous.”
In 2020, Craig had a massive stroke leaving him paralysed on the left side of his body.
“This all happened at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the restrictions in place meant that I couldn’t visit him. I sought advice and found a mental health ruling enabling me to visit him on the stroke ward.
“Craig stayed in hospital for 11 months and in that time, the hospital had said he would need to go into a care home and be looked after 24/7, but obviously we just wanted to get him home.
“I initially approached the RAF Benevolent Fund to help with cost of adapting the house to make it more accessible for Craig, to allow for me to care for him at home. In the meantime, one of our friends set up a JustGiving page which raised £14,000 in four days; we couldn’t believe it.
Sandra added: “The Fund were so supportive and remained on hand to help, should we need more support after using the money we had crowdfunded. It was a comfort to know that we could get in touch if we were ever in need again.”
Sandra and her family made the necessary adaptations to their home.
“We were able to get the living room changed into a wet room and bedroom, and three months later Craig moved back home.”
Sandra continued:
“Craig couldn’t sit up in bed without falling over. We had a hospital bed, and he had to be hoisted into a shower chair or wheelchair. On his 56th birthday he had another stroke which took his mental capacity. We were all told to say our goodbyes.
“But Craig was a miracle, he had three more years than he was expected to have. He was such a lovely man; so kind and caring. I made sure he got the best three years, and he lived his life to the full – as much as he could.”
In July 2023, Craig had a catastrophic brain bleed and sadly passed away at the age of 59.
Sandra reflected:
“Craig already had a funeral plan which was enough to pay for half the cost, but I reached back out to the Fund to see if there was any way they would be able to help with covering the rest of the costs. The Fund paid for the remaining half of the funeral costs which was just a fantastic thing to happen, because we didn’t know whether we would have been able to have the funeral that Craig wanted.
“The Fund’s support was such a comfort and gave me peace of mind. I didn’t have to worry about funeral directors chasing us for money; it was paid for and sorted out straight away.
“It was important to me that Craig got the funeral he deserved – I was just so grateful to not have to worry about anything.”
The RAF Benevolent Fund provides financial, emotional, and practical assistance to serving and retired RAF personnel and their families. This includes grants to help with financial difficulty, mental health support, Airplay youth clubs, and more.
Are you worried about funeral costs? Find out more about the support for the RAF Family.
