Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder why there has STILL been no donation?

999 replies

kewtogetin · 29/03/2015 20:05

This has probably been done, I know there was a long running thread about this very subject but I can't find it?
So, several months on I see Dax's parents have still not made the promised donation to Ronald McDonald hospice. On March 2nd they updated the Facebook page to say they works be making the donation 'very soon', but still nothing.
Am I the only one thinking they have no intention of donating any money out of the tens of thousands donated to them? That in fact they intend to keep it all and deny the very charity that provided them with so much support in the early weeks of their Childs life?
In fact, I don't think im the only one judging by the comments on the Facebook page.
I think they're hoping it will blow over and if they keep quiet long enough people will forget.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
60
trufflesnout · 30/03/2015 04:25

I posted on the old thread but figured it wouldn't be on peoples radars anymore - glad to see this one has popped up now. I'm doubtful we'll ever hear from them again but I'd quite like to see what spiel they come out with next.

I'd agree with the points re. letting those who donated work out their mistake in giving if it weren't for one thing - that these nobs have profited out of it.

The interview they did is fucking awful. What an absolute prick that bloke is

nocoolnamesleft · 30/03/2015 05:00

To me, one of the biggest problems is that they will have made it so much harder for parents of sick premmies who are genuinely in serious financial need.

It is expensive having a premmie baby. You still, obviously, have all the usual bills (rent/mortgage/utilities etc). Then, for many parents, there is the need for local accomodation. If you are lucky enough to have that provided, you still need food - more expensive when you don't have access to your own kitchen and store cipboard. You need clothes - your own may be a hundred miles away (distance from here to nearest level 3 NICU is 96 miles, along seriously dodgy roads). If you have other children, they need to be cared for. You may need to travel between home and the level 3 unit multiple times. Not all parents of micro premmies have cars, or can afford the petrol. So, even if all else is prepared, it does cost more. And then add in the depressing frequency with which the dad loses his job if he overstays his paternity leave...and if he goes back to work, he may not get to see his baby/support his wife for days at a time.

That is the reality for many ordinary parents of micropremmie babies born in the UK. I rejoice to live in a country where the medical care is free, but there are still extra costs. And these are the types of people that will get that little bit less sympathy, and that little bit less help, thank to the selfish behaviour of people who got into trouble on a holiday that most of these families could never have dreamed of affording.

AggressiveBunting · 30/03/2015 05:34

One of the issues is that the concept of crowdfunding is quite new and a lot of people dont realise that it's basically an unregulated investment forum and you can ask for funding for anything you want- it's absolutely not restricted to charitable projects. Many people use these sites to raise cash for purely personal projects like vanity publishing their memoirs, or, totally legitimately, for finding angel investors to provide start up capital for new businesses etc which the banks think are too risky/ not interested in. As someone who works in the NGO sector I like it because it creates a high volume market for people who are interested in funding social enterprises (marginally profit making businesses with a strong social agenda), which were previously in funding no-mans land (not a charity/ not a profit-maximising business), but the whole thing comes with a massive dose of "buyer beware" - most people wanting to make a significant investment still "take it offline".

My advice is never to fund personal requests like this unless you know the people concerned.

Unfortuantely, looking at the site, they havent actually done anything illegal as far as I can see, because the initial wording was so vague and once they realised the insurance would pay out, they did ask people to support RMHC directly. They also didnt specify the value of the donation to RMHC they would make.

BunnyCake · 30/03/2015 08:29

Not been following this, but did they maybe lose money because they weren't able to work while out there, or they've used the money for expenses Nocoolnames mentioned in the post above?

Bakeoffcake · 30/03/2015 08:35

How much did they raise?

seriouslypeedoff · 30/03/2015 08:43

bunnycake quite possibly. However everything over there was paid for and they weren't actually gone that long in the end. The fact is, no one was ever sure what the money was going on, the man who set it up kept changing his mind and set it up to pay the medical bills before the insurance company had finished the paperwork. And then they said it would be donated since they had received all the help they needed. And they haven't.

fluffymouse · 30/03/2015 08:43

They raised around 12,000 on the fundraising page and more through direct PayPal donations (I have heard 5000 quoted).

They were covered by insurance and had free accommodation while they were out there, so expenses would be minimal.

Interestingly all the comments, apart from the 'keep the money for dax, hun' etc have been deleted when they said they would donate to Ronald MacDonald house.

They really are scammers.

seriouslypeedoff · 30/03/2015 08:55

The best one was when their 'friend' said they want 2k for a breast pump. He insisted they need a special one for prem babies. Then the hospital and charity confirmed they would be providing any equipment needed. Took him 2 days to concede that 2k was ridiculous for a breast pump and that they didn't need it anyway.

Cariad007 · 30/03/2015 09:03

I'm not sure the guy who runs the page has looked at it for a few days as there's quite a few comments on there that he'd delete if he saw them.

Mind you, after seeing that cringeworthy interview I'd be happy for them to keep all the money on the condition that the father never opens his mouth again! What an irritating man.

Original poster
kewtogetin · 30/03/2015 09:21

Between keeping all the money donated and his new cheesecake business lee should be quids in!

OP posts:
fluffymouse · 31/03/2015 14:48

No update, but the comments also haven't been deleted. It seems they have just abandoned the page now they have the money.

soverylucky · 31/03/2015 14:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

fluffymouse · 31/03/2015 15:54

so very because they promised to put proof up once they had donated. Given they have been less than forthright up to now, people have been asking where the promised donation is. I think it is very unlikely they would donate and not post proof, when there was been so much criticism.

trufflesnout · 31/03/2015 17:09

Because the last we heard is that they would update the page when they had, sovery

Ratfinkandbobo · 31/03/2015 19:27

Isn't it illegal to raise funds fraudulently?

BunnyCake · 01/04/2015 09:22

It should be.

thefirstmrsrochester · 01/04/2015 09:39

Completely agree Ratfink.
Everything around this stinks. Clamouring for money (offers of clothing to be taken to NY by air stewards were ignored) when there was no real suggestion that the insurance wasn't going to cover, the bullying of posters to the FB page who questioned the whereabouts of the donation to RMH, the deletion of any legitimate queries re this, and now the month long radio silence. If I had donated I would be furious that the money wasn't going to where it was intended. Morally wrong.

Chippednailvarnish · 01/04/2015 10:02

I wonder how long before MNHQ delete this thread like they did the original one?

shewept · 01/04/2015 10:26

Why would mnhq to delete it? Genuinely curious, I didn't see the last thread. I don't see what would cause a deletion.

This money will never be donated and was raised, Imo, fraudulently. The list of things that required money, was all paid for by a charity. I am so appalled that someone can find themselves in a position where a charity gives then so much and they don't help the charity out.

Personally I don't donate to crowdfunding, because they are so rubbish at checking things out and investigating. It was the same with the 'homeless in heathrow' couple. Its become an acceptable way of defrauding people.

FryOneFatManic · 01/04/2015 10:31

Would it be possible to report these people for fraud, as per the email from the Charity Commission posted up previously?

Chippednailvarnish · 01/04/2015 10:51

From memory She it was because MN is here to support parents and apparently pointing out that the parents of the poor kid are looking a bit dodgy isn't on...

Cariad007 · 01/04/2015 11:43

You'd think MNHQ would be against anything as disgraceful as parents using their premature baby as a meal ticket...

DextersMistress · 01/04/2015 11:44

Has anyone tweeted any of the papers about it? I think a bit of publicity might push them into paying up. As op said, they're waiting for the attention to die down, despicable people.

Original poster
kewtogetin · 01/04/2015 11:47

I would tweet a few papers if I were on Twitter! The Daily Mail would lap this up I'm sure. Even if they had no intention of donating to RMH you'd think they'd at least say what they were going to spend all the donated money on, instead it seems like a 'grab the money and run' job.

OP posts:
DextersMistress · 01/04/2015 11:51

Same here kew I'm not on it.
As they've not broken the law, it's going to take a public backlash to get an answer I suspect.

Swipe left for the next trending thread