RIVERSIDE, NJ – Ed Kemble is no stranger to having a full house after sharing his Riverside home with family members who all have a special place in his heart.
But now Kemble is dealing with the loss of the four he shared his home with after all four died, one by one, after contracting the coronavirus in November.
A GoFundMe effort launched by one of Kemble’s friends to cover funeral expenses has raised more than $ 13,000 since Friday, as Kemble struggles to lose so many loved ones in such a short time.
Kemble told ABC6 in Philadelphia that he had taken in his family members to take care of them and to simply put a roof over their heads. There was his brother, John Kemble, whom he cared for after John, a former EMT worker, lost both his legs during his battle with diabetes and was locked up in a bed.
Kemble’s mother-in-law, Ruth Allen, also lived under the same roof, as did his aunt, Eileen Wolverton, who according to ABC6 remained active with the Washington Fire Company’s Ladies Auxiliary despite being struck with stage 4 cancer.
Then of course there was Kemble’s beloved wife, Barbara, according to whom he drove around on a fire truck on the day of their wedding, according to ABC6.
Kemble, who works as a volunteer firefighter in Riverside, told the Philadelphia TV station he was not sure how the coronavirus ended up in his home.
All of his family members had their own health problems, which increased the risk of contracting the virus. These include Barbara, according to media reports the youngest of his family members who died. She died in mid-January at the age of 60, after dealing with diabetes, kidney problems and other health complications, according to The Star-Ledger.
“It was a nightmare that came true for the whole family,” the GoFundMe page said. “Anything will help.”
Kemble, who is 61 and also works as a truck driver, said all of his family members were admitted to the hospital with the virus, according to the Star-Ledger, who limited his contact with them to FaceTime talks. Kemble told the newspaper that his wife died in hospital from a stroke after she was the first of his family members to test positive for the coronavirus.
“People need to be made aware (the virus) is there,” Kemble told Star-Ledger. “People (should) distance themselves from each other and obey the rules that everyone says.”
Kemble does his best to stay active to prevent him from thinking too much about all the losses he has experienced lately. He told ABC6 he hopes to hold a memorial service for his family in the spring or summer when it is safe.
Others hope they can help make a closure and spread awareness at the same time.
“Be safe!” said the GoFundMe page. “It really is!”