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.
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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