A starving single mum says her faith in humanity has been restored after generous Brits donated more than £1.2k in just a few hours to help feed her kids. The total is now well over £8k.
Kelly Thomson, 43, revealed this week that she has twice been hospitalised due to malnutrition amid the cost of living crisis.
She says she has been foregoing meals so her kids can eat – and has even thought about begging to make ends meet.
Kelly decided to launch a GoFundMe page with a target of just £50 set.
And, amazingly, the total has already passed £1,200 and continues to rise quickly – with Kelly saying “a weight has been lifted”.
Donators have left touching messages of support for the hard-up mum-of-two, who said she was overwhelmed by the generosity.
And she also revealed one person has volunteered to replace her both her children’s worn-out school unforms, while another pledged to buy her food shop each week.
Generosity
Kelly, from Slough, said: “The offers have been crazy, it’s absolutely beautiful.
“Since the story went out I have had more than 100 messages.
“I can’t believe the generosity of people. My faith in humanity has been restored.”
New Office for National Statistics data has revealed the UK inflation rate is the highest it’s been since 1982, at 10.1%.
Kelly has just £40 per week to spend on food for herself and her two kids – often leaving her eating once a day just to ensure her kids get fed.
The single mum-of-two shared her story in the media this week in a desperate bid to shed a light on the crippling inflation hikes.
She has been struggling to get by since getting long Covid in December 2020, when she was signed off from her job as a cleaner.
Her universal credit covers her £1,300 monthly rent and a few other costs, she says she has just £160 a month left for everything else.
She told how was forced to take her children’s birthday gifts to Cash Converters to get money for food, and they rely on a food bank to survive.
But even after that, she still has to go hungry just to spare enough food for her kids to survive.
Strangers
But after kind strangers read her story she has been inundated with kind messages, offers of support and donations on her GoFundMe page.
Kelly said she is in disbelief at the public response – describing it as being “absolutely beautiful”.
She said: “It’s been unreal. It’s been absolutely crazy. I can’t believe the generosity of people.
“A weight has been lifted off my shoulders because I know now that we can afford food for at least a few weeks thanks to the donations.
“I could never have dreamt or imagined that this would happen!
“I told my son he might be able to get his scooter back from the Cash Converters and the little smile on his face was amazing.
“I truly thank everyone from the bottom of my heart, from my children and I wish I could thank everyone personally. I am so grateful.”
Her GoFundMe page: https://gofund.me/f7e01fe5
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