WHEN baby Adam was born in July 2016, Craig and Marzena Asher felt their happiness was complete.

Our sister paper The Evening Times reports that the couple had just moved into a new family home in Paisley, Craig had a new job in human resources and Marzena loved her work as a librarian.

Just five weeks later, however, their lives were torn apart by the devastating news that Craig, 41, had inoperable stomach cancer. Doctors gave him just a year to live.

With limited options in Scotland, the couple looked further afield for treatments and decided immunology – which is not available on the NHS for this type of cancer - was Craig’s only hope of survival.

For the last 10 weeks they have been at a hospital in northern Germany where Craig, who has lost 20kg since being diagnosed with the disease, is receiving immunology drugs and chemotherapy.

However, with the treatment likely to cost in the region of 100,000 euros, they are now desperately trying to raise £60,000 to cover some of the cost and have launched a fundraising drive on social media.

Speaking from his hospital bed in Germany, Craig told the Evening Times: “I’m not the sort of person who would ever ask anyone for money, so that has been very uncomfortable for me. Our families have been so generous, but the financial worry of it all has been stressful.

“But you have to do what you have to do when something like this happens - I want Adam to know that I did everything possible to get better.

“The drugs are very expensive and because I am receiving private immunology treatment chemo is no longer available to me on the NHS, so we’ve had to pay for that as well. But if it gets me better, that is all that matters.”

The couple married in October 2013 after meeting through friends in 2011. Marzena, who is Polish, describes the seven months since Adam’s birth as “a rollercoaster” but admits the worst part was being separated from baby Adam when they initially travelled to Germany for treatment.

The 40-year-old added: “I was here with Craig but my heart was broken because I didn’t have Adam with me. That was just so hard. After two weeks I was going to pieces – every time I passed a mother with a baby I would burst out crying.

“Then Craig’s parents, who have been so good to us, decided to make the journey with Adam out to Germany to be with us.

“I can’t tell you how wonderful it was when we saw him again. He gives us so much strength to fight, to be positive, to smile. When you see him smile, no matter how down we are feeling we can’t help but smile back.”

Craig adds that although his illness initially prevented him from throwing himself into fatherhood, it now gives him everything to live for.

“Because my diagnosis came so soon after Adam was born my mind was forced to try and deal with the cancer, and that took up so much energy,” he said. “I feel that I didn’t get to know him as well as Marzena did and that makes me so sad.

“But a few of days ago, after my latest round of chemo had gone well, I looked at Adam and just felt this amazing rush of hope for the future. I felt so close to him, and I felt that I am going to get better, that I am going to live to see him grow up.

“It has been such a hard few months but Marzena and I are now closer than we have ever been. We have no time to mope around and be depressed – we value every minute we have as a family.”

The crowdfunding appeal has so far raised over £6,000.

Although Craig is still seriously ill, the immunology treatment and chemo are going well and there are signs of hope.

“I’m gradually starting to feel a bit stronger, and I've been able to eat a little again," he said. "There have been some good signs and we are hopeful that the tumour is shrinking.

“It has been very emotional being away from home and away from family and friends while undergoing the treatment – and of course being away from Adam was so, so difficult. But now Adam and our parents are here we are coping better. We are hopeful for the future.”

To donate to Craig’s appeal go to www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/marzena-asher-2