PORT ST. LUCIE, FL – Marilyn Edgerly knew this day would come, but that doesn’t make it any easier.
Today, Greg, her husband of 27 years, ended his fight with cancer. In December, doctors identified an endocrine tumor so advanced they said there was nothing they could do to save his life.
The Edgerlys didn't just struggle with Greg's end-of-life care. They also wondered how they would meet their basic needs, pay their bills. Marilyn cared for her husband around the clock, making it impossible for her to work. Greg, a construction worker, had been the family's sole breadwinner.
At times utility providers turned off the power and water to the couple's Port St. Lucie home because the Edgerlys could not afford to pay their bills.
Following a NewsChannel 5 story last month, viewers reached out to help the couple. They received hundreds of phone calls, checks, and pledges of support.
Marilyn said people offered to pay their utility bills, and even their rent, many times over.
She says that support gave her husband the first peace-of-mind he'd felt since he was diagnosed.
She says Greg had a peaceful final two weeks of life. He died this morning at 8:30am.
Marilyn says she is grateful for all of the help and calls of support she's received. She says someone has already volunteered to help with Greg's funeral expenses.