To think that this is ok.. gofundme for a wealthy family

[yhegadian]

My friends and I had lunch yesterday. We starting chatting about a family we know and live near. Seemingly wealthy, enjoy the trappings of wealth, one of best addresses in London. Summer house, private education for kids etc.
One of the kids has an opportunity to get a preventative course of medicine for the recurrence of a life limiting disease that can be effective but is not guaranteed. A trial.
It will cost £100's K.
I think. Gofundme is perfectly acceptable in view of their child's potential opportunity . Others in the group were shocked that they would consider this due to their apparent wealth, family wealth, salubrious homes , cars etc and felt other causes were more deserving considering their present financial situation will remain ie some felt they could take their other children from private school, trade down regarding their home, sell their summer home , downgrade cars. They won't be using capital from any of the above to fund treatment.
AIBU?

A summer house can mean a shed, but this one is also described as a summer home. So it's a second house.

No it's not ok. They have assets they can sell. There are others that need to raise money that have literally nothing.

It can be, but in this context, it’s obviously a second home.

I think they’re CFs to ask, but more fool anyone who contributes.

They are CFs of the worst kind. They can raise capital via their assets to fund treatment yet beg for money instead.

You can tell what is the most important to them and it's not their DC.

They should be ashamed.

No they're cheeky fuckers! At the bare minimum, sell the second home.

This is weirdly becoming the norm. I know a woman from a very wealthy family (not in UK) whose sibling has cancer. Someone commented on her Facebook asking if they had set up a go fund me. To their credit they hadn't....but i think even asking the question shows how common place this is becoming. Very entitled. I wouldn't donate a penny

Ds goes to very small village school.. Little Jonny lives in the biggest house. Dps drive the biggest cars. Head teacher sent out letters asking all dc to bring in £2 each for little Jonny's df to have leg surgery..
Little Jonny's df can hop right off.... And so can the HT imo.

I overheard someone talking about fundraising their scout trip to disney?!

I wouldn't contribute to a gofundme. It's too open to abuse.

I wouldn't donate either. I prefer to donate to charities where the work can't continue without donations.

Funding a family so they can continue to live a life of luxury seems ridiculous to me.

I live a low-middle class lifestyle. We have a mortgage and UK holidays. We don't go without but equally don't have lots spare. When my child needed therapy that wasn't forthcoming on the NHS, we paid it. When another needed tuition, we paid it. I wouldn't do a gofundme unless I absolutely needed to. Your friends sound entitled;

Yup.

Think this sums it up.

This exactly. Shameful behaviour. Let's wait and see if the public will fund our childs drug trial rather than put ourselves out financially.

A summer house is a glorified shed, not a second property!!!!!!!!

How do people know they haven’t done that already? They could have sold all their jewellery for all we know and be mortgaged up to the hilt.

Anyone can set up a GoFundMe and you aren’t obliged to disclose your financial circumstances. I wouldn’t judge until I’d walked in their shoes.

I once worked with someone who sent an email round saying she was raising funds for her niece to have an operation abroad as it wasn’t available in the UK. As a company we did a huge amount of fundraising to help. It was somewhat galling to find out at a later stage that the family had a huge house in a very expensive area, two brand new cars, the father owned his own business and they took said colleague and niece for a three week holiday in the Bahamas as a pre-surgery treat!

They should fund it themselves rather than asking others with less to pay for it for them.

It’s both - depending on the context!

Our second home (summer house, if you will) has a summerhouse!

They clearly don’t want to change a thing about their lifestyle (holiday home / car / private schools). I do think this is a little immoral as a gofundme should exist only if you can’t find the money another way.

But considering their circles, I’m sure they’ll get that money without having to dip into their own pockets.

And with all due respect I don't give a shit.

Yes I judge people begging off people who are struggling to pay there bills whilst playing poverty in their expensive houses.

Look at Alyssa Milanos go fund me for sons baseball.

Same as everything as soon ws the rich get hold of something else to not pay their way they plead poverty.

They sound like they are wealthy enough to make changes to be able to afford the treatment so I don’t think a go fund me is appropriate

Op please clarify if they have a “summer house” in their garden or a “summer home” somewhere else for holidaying!

I guess I’d have no problem with them fundraising towards the cost, if they’re able to put up half for instance and raise the other half. Because although they’re seemingly well off they might not be 100s of Ks well off.

They should not be begging. And I would judge them harshly if I knew them.

There was an article on the net this past week about a university student from overseas who hasn't got enough money to continue her course. As she is a foreign student she only allowed to work 20 hours a week.so can't earn to cover her fees
In her plea for cash she says the ' my education is down to you '
I thought overseas students had to show that they could afford a course at university.and this was a condition of acceptance.
There's no way I would donating to this. There far more deserving causes than this

Fancy cars, second homes and luxurious holidays would be the first thing I’d do in that situation. Health is wealth. The health of your DC is beyond any luxury. I’d not be asking for money from others if I had so many easily disposable assets. Maybe in the short term I’d borrow enough for one or two treatments if there was difficulty in releasing cash from assets for a house quickly enough but that would be the only thing I’d do.

Im on a small, fixed income after having to take early retirement and went without any holidays, meals out etc, to save enough to see a consultant privately. It would be an absolute last resort I’d start a go fund me page. Sure who wouldn’t like a second home etc but it’s nothing when there’s a massive health issue you need to fund.

Well, they can set one up if they like, but I certainly wouldn't donate money to wealthy people and I highly doubt many others would, so they're not likely to raise what they need.