Emily Chan
A woman from New Hampshire has raised $404,600 for a 90-year-old disabled U.S. Air Force veteran who was struggling to make ends meet.
The woman, Jenelle Marie, started a GoFundMe page for her “elderly friend named Donald” after she realized he was pawning jewelry so he could use the money to take care of his sick wife and pay his rent.
According to the GoFundMe page, Donald cares for his wife “around the clock” since the couple does not have children and does not have any immediate family members left. His wife was recently diagnosed with dementia.
After Donald’s landlord raised the rent, he started “falling behind terribly with all of his bills.” He was living in fear of eviction and that his wife may be forced to go to a nursing home.
“I’m currently looking to find him a new place to rent that is within his budget, but I was hoping I could fundraise some money to lessen his load of financial stress,” Jenelle wrote.
All donations will go toward helping Donald pay for a one-bedroom, first-floor apartment or house they can rent in the Manchester, New Hampshire area, according to Jenelle. She has looked into affordable housing options and other resources for him, but the waitlists were much too long.
Prior to the fundraiser going viral, Jenelle surprised Donald with an envelope filled with $1,300 in cash. The money was from her, her fiancé, and about 25 other people.
Donald was moved to tears and expressed his gratitude for her. At first, he even refused to accept the money, but Jenelle insisted.
So, imagine his shock when he learned that strangers from all over the world had donated thousands of dollars to help him out.
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