Adjusting To The New Normal
Donation protected
Friends, Family, and those who are called to help:
My name is Kevin. I have a beautiful eight-year-old daughter.
Last year, I lost my best friend. Kristin lost her mother.
The loss has been the most devastating experience of my life. Together we were an unstoppable team. Christie was one of the most caring women in the world, and she made our family her top priority. While I worked two jobs, she focused on raising our daughter and running our home.
Last year, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we went from a diagnosis to saying farewell in just 16 days. (This is the link to Christie’s obituary .) (This is the link to Christie’s funeral .)
Without her, I struggle to do what I must to pick up the slack. I’ve always known how to be a hard worker, and how to deal with whatever comes my way. After 20 years in the Navy, I know that duty isn’t always easy. But doing what needs to be done, with a hole in my heart, and missing my wife’s contribution, is almost impossible. Learning to live without her is a battle that words cannot describe.
Recently, after a summer and fall of uncertainty, I eventually lost my job, and am now without steady employment for the first time in just over 6 years. I quickly found another another job, that isn’t forcing Kristin to spend more time with a babysitter than she does with me, but it's going to take awhile to get up to speed. Prior to Christie's funeral, we had a 10½-week cash reserve in the bank; now I'm literally day-to-day financially. I have to do the daily work of three normal people, to just get routine stuff done (praying that I don't forget something important), and I've had to adapt, adjust, and improvise so often this year, that I have no clue what a comfort zone even looks like anymore.
The struggle to cope with grief, pay medical and funeral bills, fund vehicle repairs, and cover childcare (which we had never needed before), has become a crippling combination. That I had to return to work after a mere four weeks off (because my original emergency fundraiser ultimately stalled out) didn’t do me any favors.
Despite all of this, I have a beautiful young woman to raise. I must be her rock and her provider. I’ve figured out how to put dinner on the table. I’ve even got a handle on girl laundry. I’ve updated my resume . I’m not giving up. But we need some help.
We need to cover costs for childcare, transportation, medical and funeral bills, and daily necessities until I can get back on my feet. If we can get out from under our immediate financial burdens, we can begin to rebuild our lives into our “new normal.” We just need a hand.
If you feel moved to help myself and my daughter, then please donate. Thank you for taking the time to consider this – any amount is helpful, and is appreciated beyond my ability to express it.
Thank You,
Kevin
My name is Kevin. I have a beautiful eight-year-old daughter.
Last year, I lost my best friend. Kristin lost her mother.
The loss has been the most devastating experience of my life. Together we were an unstoppable team. Christie was one of the most caring women in the world, and she made our family her top priority. While I worked two jobs, she focused on raising our daughter and running our home.
Last year, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we went from a diagnosis to saying farewell in just 16 days. (This is the link to Christie’s obituary .) (This is the link to Christie’s funeral .)
Without her, I struggle to do what I must to pick up the slack. I’ve always known how to be a hard worker, and how to deal with whatever comes my way. After 20 years in the Navy, I know that duty isn’t always easy. But doing what needs to be done, with a hole in my heart, and missing my wife’s contribution, is almost impossible. Learning to live without her is a battle that words cannot describe.
Recently, after a summer and fall of uncertainty, I eventually lost my job, and am now without steady employment for the first time in just over 6 years. I quickly found another another job, that isn’t forcing Kristin to spend more time with a babysitter than she does with me, but it's going to take awhile to get up to speed. Prior to Christie's funeral, we had a 10½-week cash reserve in the bank; now I'm literally day-to-day financially. I have to do the daily work of three normal people, to just get routine stuff done (praying that I don't forget something important), and I've had to adapt, adjust, and improvise so often this year, that I have no clue what a comfort zone even looks like anymore.
The struggle to cope with grief, pay medical and funeral bills, fund vehicle repairs, and cover childcare (which we had never needed before), has become a crippling combination. That I had to return to work after a mere four weeks off (because my original emergency fundraiser ultimately stalled out) didn’t do me any favors.
Despite all of this, I have a beautiful young woman to raise. I must be her rock and her provider. I’ve figured out how to put dinner on the table. I’ve even got a handle on girl laundry. I’ve updated my resume . I’m not giving up. But we need some help.
We need to cover costs for childcare, transportation, medical and funeral bills, and daily necessities until I can get back on my feet. If we can get out from under our immediate financial burdens, we can begin to rebuild our lives into our “new normal.” We just need a hand.
If you feel moved to help myself and my daughter, then please donate. Thank you for taking the time to consider this – any amount is helpful, and is appreciated beyond my ability to express it.
Thank You,
Kevin
Organizer
Kevin Heine
Organizer
Grand Rapids, MI