Support Pours In For Fairfield Teen Diagnosed With Cancer

FAIRFIELD, CT — The community is rallying around a Fairfield teen who was recently diagnosed with cancer.

Charlie Capalbo, who recently completed his senior season as a goalie for the Fairfield Ludlowe/Fairfield Warde co-op hockey team, has been diagnosed with cancer near his heart and lungs, according to a GoFundMe page launched in support of the family.

Family friend John McCormick created the GoFundMe account on Sunday (March 19) and nearly $50,000 has been raised in 21 hours as of 8 p.m. on Monday. (UPDATE: More than $85,000 has been raised as of 4 p.m. on Tuesday).

“Charlie Capalbo is a close family friend who was just diagnosed with cancer near his heart and lungs,” McCormick wrote on the page. “He is a wonderful young man that just completed a great season as the goalie for the Fairfield, CT high school hockey team.

“We are raising money to support his family in their time of need.”

In a Monday update, McCormick wrote “Good signs: Charlie is sitting up, chatting, checking his phone, and in good spirits. Has been off pain meds for a while and not feeling like he needs them.”

Less than two weeks ago, Capalbo made 27 saves for Fairfield in a 5-2 loss to West Haven in the CIAC Division I hockey tournament.

Capalbo played the game feeling under the weather with what he believed to be flu-like systems, according to the Connecticut Post.

The Post reports that the symptoms continued and he went to the doctors but didn’t have a cold or a flu and eventually went back for blood work and ended up in the Intensive Care Unit at Yale-New Haven Hospital where he was diagnosed with cancer.

Read more at the Connecticut Post here.

Visit the Charlie Capalbo - Be Strong! GoFundMe page here.

Photo via GoFundMe