Mum who set up GoFundMe page for daughters' Disneyland trip defends her decision
After raising enough money for her family holiday, the mum has spoken out saying “I’m not a bad person”
The British mum who set up a GoFundMe page to take her 2 daughters to Disneyland in Florida - and received a huge backlash as a result - has defended her actions.
Her original post stated she was raising funds for the dream 2-week family trip because she knew she wouldn’t be able to save up enough for them to go.
"They watch a lot of YouTube videos where children are surprised by their parents with a holiday to Disney World and they get tears in their eyes watching it,” she wrote.
“They love anything Disney and I know that I would never be able to get them there on my own, by the time I save up they would be too old to enjoy it :("
After her page went viral, she initially closed down the fundraising page, but was later prompted to set it back up, and managed to raise the full amount she needed.
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Her total currently stands (at the time of writing) at £6,692.
And despite hitting her goal, she’s updated her profile to add that she’s not a bad person for making this decision, and that she didn’t deserve the backlash she got.
Here’s some of what she wrote:
"I am not asking people for their hard-earned money, people have a choice. If I had lied and said one of my children was ill when they weren't to raise the money I could have understood the backlash but I was totally upfront and honest :(
“Yes I should have thought about [going viral] more before I opened it but it's too late now. I did read [what I originally wrote] back after and yes I agree it did sound cheeky, but I am very clumsy and if was going to happen to anyone it would have to be me!
"I love my children and my job, I'm a carer and I haven't been able to get anymore hours at work, nights are not easy to come by, I have gone into a 0 hours contract, I do try.
"The press have made me out to be an awful person when I was only thinking of my children and making them happy.
"I thought this section of the website was for funding hopes, dreams and wishes, and I believed GoFundMe was a chance to raise money for anything, I looked in the category and a lot of people were doing similar things, even raising money for breast enhancements and cars, I never meant to upset anyone.
"I will not be shamed because I wanted to do more for my children."
She also claimed that one benefactor - a journalist - was so horrified by the reaction to her campaign in the press that he wanted to donate a large sum of the money himself.
(You can read her full update on her GoFundMe page.)
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