GoFund me Funds not being used as stated

[Brownthomas]

I am probably going to get flamed for this but it has been on my mind a few days.

There was a huge SM campaign to raise funds for a young child to go to the US for lifesaving treatment. I donated and so did lots of people as they raised over 3 million.

At the time I found out from a friend of the child’s mum that the treatment could not be given due to health reasons. However mum still went on TV and continued to raise the funds.

Now it’s come out that they won’t be going to the US as the child cannot get the treatment - and they have lied saying it was due to a recent infection.

Also they are not refunding the donations. They’ve pledged 1million to another child that can get the treatment but no mention of what they intend to do with the other 2.3 million.

This child’s condition is very serious but not life threatening. I do feel for the parents but I think they should not have started the campaign when they knew the child would not be eligible for the treatment in the first place.
Now the funds are raised, it’s not what I donated to and I feel a bit misled.

AIBU to think they should refund or give ALL the funds to a charity related to this condition?

Do you have a source?

How does it work, do they get given the money as a lump sum or is it paid directly to the hospital or wherever?

I've always been a bit wary of crowd funding as there seems to be a lack of transparency and accountability.

I'm guessing you can report to GoFundMe?

I am close friends with a friend of child’s mother. She probably shouldn’t have told me the treatment wouldn’t work while they were still fundraising.

GoFundMe the money is lodged straight into the creators account. As it’s a child it can go into the parents account. Funds move each month over and out of GoFundMe.

It’s the risk you take when you donate so I wouldn’t personally lose any sleep over it - which is not to say I think it’s right!

That's the risk when you donate to something that isn't a registered charity...

Can you report to anyone? Surely that’s fraud?

AFAIK with the exception big sites such as crowdjustice, crowdfunders can use whatever sob story they want and use the money however they want, even if unrelated to what the original sob story was. As lots of people are pretty immoral it should be obvious that many crowdfunders (I don't know about this one) are just scams.

Most of those fundraising things for “lifesaving” treatments in the US seem to be for quacks selling miracles to desperate parents from what I’ve seen. Donator beware.

Is this in Ireland?

If so, I think I know the one you’re talking about. However, afaik the child’s condition will eventually be terminal.

Ultimately I’d just not think about it. I’d write off the 10/20 quid or whatever was donated, but I’d just be glad that it wasn’t my kid.

You are right to be angry, it isn't on. Apparently the parents of a v famous baby who died a couple of years ago have spent all the money they vowed to use to set up a foundation in their name. Sadly people like this make others less willing to donate.

The parents have a very sick child to take care of. However I think keeping over 2 million is a bit shady.
I can’t believe it’s not policed in some way. It was all over SM when they were fundraising but hasn’t been mentioned in months. Only someone asked how the trip to US went and they had to admit it s

Sometimes the fundraiser puts a note on the campaign saying something like “if he dies or the treatment is cancelled then we will donate the funds to xxxx charity for research” - I have seen that on some of these online fundraising things.

Are you suggesting the parents are keeping the money for new cars/clothes/a holiday? Are they spending it on the child? I think if there was no me toon of alternative uses for the money you can report to GFM because you donated for medical treatment for the child and that alone. You did not consent for your money to be used for other things.

*admit it’s not going to happen.

There are other children with this condition who could use the funds for successful treatment. I think it should be passed over & not kept

Report the campaign on gofundme - every campaign on it is covered by their crowdfunding guarantee so if they find fraud they will return the donations

@talismankeeper - is that a certain boy who had an “Army” and the high court got involved? If so, that’s extremely disappointing.

OP I think I know who you are talking about. It's a very sad situation as obviously the outcome for this child isn't good. I think they may have gotten carried away looking for a miracle cure that doesn't exist for them. Sometimes life is very cruel and a cure just doesn't exist and you just have to unfortunately face reality.

With these things I always look at my own healthy children and thank god I do t face this. No amount of money would change that.
It sounds like a child is benefiting from this, and a family in a sad situation may have chased a dream. I’d just shrug it off, when you give money to these things you have to accept the lack of control you have. Give freely and don’t check.

Brown I’d take it that you don’t actually know the whole story.

Something similar happened a few years ago where I live. A teenager was very very poorly and needed to go abroad for treatment. Money was raised for them to go. They didn’t end up going due to complications and the community was rife with gossip. Some even accusing the family of making the severity of the illness up.

The teenager died a few months later.

I’m not sure of the legalities or if even anyone could even check where the money went but I never asked or expected money back.

Anyone else remember "Dax's New York Adventure"? The parents had a preemie in NY and fundraised to pay his medical bills and parents' living costs. The hospital waived the £200k plus bill, and Ronald Mcdonald foundation paid their living expenses. They claimed they were going to give the money raised to RMc, but in reality they gave a few k and kept the hundreds of thousands for themselves. Really awful.

Unregulated crowdfunding is a bit of murky business.

@HavelockVetinari

Anyone else remember "Dax's New York Adventure"? The parents had a preemie in NY and fundraised to pay his medical bills and parents' living costs. The hospital waived the £200k plus bill, and Ronald Mcdonald foundation paid their living expenses. They claimed they were going to give the money raised to RMc, but in reality they gave a few k and kept the hundreds of thousands for themselves. Really awful.

Yes! Dreadful people.

Tbh as much as I can see why a parent might want to raise money, the reality is that generally these kinds of fundraisers go to some unregulated quack in the states who is out to exploit desperate people. I wouldn’t donate to any of them for that reason.

And aside from that, there are plenty of people who never use the money for the intended purpose and make £££ by playing on the sympathies of others.

Either way it’s all a shady business and I would stay well clear in future...

If the money will give the child a better life, then why can't they keep it? People donated because they want the best for thet child

Omg I remember baby Dax - did they really keep most of the money? That’s awful