Victoria and Keith Christian

I never thought I would be writing this story. Can this really be happening to us?

It was supposed to be a routine surgical procedure, but in the blink of an eye, he was gone. Blood clots developed in his legs and travelled to his lungs. They couldn’t save him. He was only 50 years old. He had a new life and a new wife, a new family to add to his own, and a new home—a haven to enjoy gatherings with his blended family, their friends and church groups. His brother told us that Keith had never been happier.

My sister Victoria needs our help. After finding each other later in life, Victoria lost the love of her life. Please read their beautiful love story and consider helping Victoria with expenses due to Keith’s unexpected passing.

Victoria and Keith met on September 1, 2016. She was a single mother of three amazing adult children. He was a divorced father of two amazing sons. They were both broken and healing in their own ways: She from raising three children alone and he from a devastating divorce. One day Victoria scheduled a bike ride through her outdoor activities group and Keith showed up. After the bike ride, the group met for dinner nearby and Keith and Victoria sat next to each other.

After their “Meet Cute,” they got to know each other through other outdoor activity events and eventually became a part of a very close group of Christian friends. They bonded first and foremost over their love of their Lord Jesus Christ. Victoria knew Keith was a true man of God. They also bonded over their love of their children and families. They both loved movies, hiking, biking, kayaking, and being goofy. They became good friends for about a year then fell in love and were engaged a year later. A year after that they married. They had become a blended family with two incredible daughters, three amazing sons, and three priceless grandchildren.

This was a dream come true for Victoria, but one she never thought would become real. After 53 years of being single, she never thought she would find a man of God that she could trust, feel safe with and be herself. But she did. God brought them together – for a while.

Two years after marrying, and after navigating one of the worst housing markets in recent history, they finally bought their dream house. It wasn’t a mansion. It wasn’t in the best neighborhood. But God led them to a house that had space for their families to join together, space for their grandchildren to play and stay for weekends. Keith and Victoria’s focus was about bringing family and friends together, not the comfort of material possessions. This was in 2022. They put everything into making their new home the place where everyone could come and gather. Over the next year and a half, they worked on getting settled into their home spending as much time with their families as they could. They especially enjoyed inviting the kids over and having their grandchildren, Eveline, Weston, and Henry over for the weekend. Keith was the best Grandpa. Eight-year-old Eveline and six-year-old Weston called him “Grandpa Keith” while baby Henry called him “Ya-Ya.” They were living an amazing life that God had cultivated for them.

On April 25th, 2024, Keith went in for routine prostate surgery. He was supposed to be home in a couple of days. The day after the surgery, while Victoria sat with him in the hospital, Keith suffered a pulmonary embolism and died right in front of her. This wasn’t the plan. He was supposed to come home. He was supposed to go fishing in Canada the next week with his brother and nephew. He was supposed to go to Mackinac Island for his 5-Year wedding anniversary. He was supposed to watch his son get married next year. He was supposed to watch his sons become amazing husbands and fathers. Keith and Victoria were supposed to do a lot of things together, but now she is alone.

Keith is in the loving arms of Jesus, his savior. There’s no doubt about that. But Victoria has been left behind to live without her beloved husband, the Godly man she waited 53 years for. She has also been left with a new mortgage and all the expenses of a home on her income alone. She has been praying for God’s guidance on how to manage all of this. It is truly overwhelming.

If you would like to bless Victoria in a practical way that will help her cover expenses, please consider donating whatever God puts on your heart.

We thank you from the depths of our souls for showing your love for Victoria in this way.