Support the Kirchbergs' Medical and Housing Crisis

Updated 10/04/24 @ 11pm. I've added a bit more information and re-wrote the story in first-person voice as opposed to third. This is our story.

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Hi. My name is Ivy (Homan); I’m married to Eric Kirchberg. Eric and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary this past September and are amazed that, despite life’s twists and turns, we’re still arm-in-arm and facing life head-on. We’ve built a life together filled with moments of laughter and tears, hopes and fears, but – at the end of every day – with love. Our bond has been the central source of strength.

Since late 2022, Eric has faced an onslaught of health issues. He was hospitalized twice beginning in October of 2022 and then again in February of 2023 with internal bleeding. At that same time, he was diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure and started hemodialysis treatments three times a week which then transitioned a couple of months later to nightly at-home dialysis treatments.

Eric needs a kidney and is on the national kidney transplant list. We’ve been told that the average wait on the transplant list is approximately 5 years; however, because Eric’s blood type is O+, the waiting list ends up being closer to 7 to 8 years as he can only accept a kidney from a donor with the same blood type. For now, dialysis is doing its job and allowing Eric to live another day. While every day is, truly, a gift, Eric’s quality of life has been compromised. He tires easily and generally just feels weak; he also doesn’t sleep well. Most noticeably is that he has considerable difficulty finding food that he can tolerate or even keep down. He’s lost a lot of weight which is normally a good thing; I’m just not pleased with the how and why he’s lost the weight he has. When Eric and I first met, we were a ‘very fluffy’ couple. LOL! Now, Eric easily weighs at least 250 lbs. less than what he weighed on our wedding day. He looks great but looks are deceiving.

As Eric slowly adjusted to the new normal of living life with end-stage kidney failure, he continued battling diabetic ulcerations due to poor circulation. In October of 2023, Eric had emergency surgery to amputate his left leg just below the knee. Thankfully, he has adapted well to his new prosthetic leg, but his health has continued to be a challenge with the progressing kidney disease.

Enter Stage: Finances. While Eric dealt with kidney failure and life as an amputee, he lost his job in March of 2023. He filed for unemployment benefits but, sadly, that brought in less than half what he had been making while employed. This quickly led to constant collection calls, a rising stack of medical bills, shut-off notices, and getting behind in rent. Eric’s truck was repossessed in July, and his unemployment benefits have ended. Now, we’re being evicted from our apartment. I have an appointment with a local nonprofit which offers eviction prevention funds for New Haven residents, but there’s no guarantee that they’ll be able to help.

Eric has filed for disability benefits but there’s no indication of when or if he’ll be approved. And, we have no idea what disability benefits will look like. Something is always better than nothing, so we will be thankful for whatever it turns out to be.

I will always be Eric’s biggest cheerleader, and he will always be mine, yet I can’t help but feel like I’ve failed at being what he needs right now. I’m stressed and battling with depression every waking minute of every hour of every day. Nevertheless, I get up every morning … put on my ‘big girl panties’ … and face the music no matter how flat/sharp it may sound. We believe in Jesus Christ and in the power of prayer. We believe God loves us and will take care of us every step of the way. As I’ve stated before, I also believe that God helps those who help themselves. That is why I started this GoFundMe page. I don’t particularly enjoy exposing my soul to everyone in such a public manner, so this whole experience is very humbling and equally embarrassing. Humble Pie is best served fresh. And it’s fresh.

Thanks to the GoFundMe platform, family, friends, acquaintances, colleagues and total strangers have already started stepping forward to show their support … not just monetarily, but through sharing words of encouragement and offering up prayers on our behalf. Thank you. Thank you. And thank you, again. Your continued generosity underscores the importance of looking out for one another. Acts of kindness have made tough days a little brighter, showing how communities can rally to lift one another.

Life's storms may be fierce, but together, we can weather them.