A struggling single mum who ate one meal a day just so she could feed her kids says her life has been changed thanks to £8,000 raised by kind donors - and she is now debt-free for the first time in years. Kelly Thomson, 43, had been eating one meal a day for nearly two years just in order to have enough food to feed her kids – until a fundraising page changed her life.
The mum-of-two had twice been hospitalised due to malnutrition amid the cost of living crisis because she had to forego meals – and even considered begging. But everything changed when Kelly launched a GoFundMe page a fortnight ago – and within days it had racked up more than £8,000.
She has now revealed the life-changing amount raised by hundreds of kind donors from all around the world has allowed her to pay off all her debts – and reclaim her kids’ toys from the pawn shop. Now debt-free Kelly, from Slough, said she has been able to sleep properly at night now the weight of her debts has been lifted. She can now eat three full meals a day and is able to do a weekly shop each week so the family always have full bellies.
Kelly said: “When I saw the fundraiser had reached £8,000 I nearly fainted. I cried my eyes out. I couldn't believe that something like that could ever happen to me.
"The first thing I did was go and get back my children's' toys, which I had to take to the pawn shop to buy food. I've paid off all my debts - I'm even in credit, and now I can sleep at night for the first time in years because I don't have debts hanging over me.
"I'm getting back to health and looking to get back into work, and I can tell it's a weight off my kids' shoulders because I'm not stressed. It has changed everything. Everyone that donated has given me and my children the lift we needed and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart."
Prior to launching her Go Fund Me page last month, Kelly had 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. She had 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 could cover her £1,300 monthly rent and a few other costs, but she said that leaves her with 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 relied on a food bank to survive.
But even after that, she would still have to go hungry just to spare enough food for her kids to survive. Kelly said she lost two stone and even needed blood transfusions to replenish her depleted iron levels because she couldn’t afford fresh food – with what little food she did get coming in tins from the food bank.
She said: “I would wake up every morning and think 'oh my God, not again'.”
But Kelly set up the fundraising page on August 19 and it proved to be lifechanging after thousands of pounds were raised in a matter of days. Hundreds of kind donors brought the total up to £8,767 by the time Kelly closed the fundraiser and withdrew the money.
She says thanks to the donations, she has been able to pay off all of her debts for the first time in nearly two years. Her son, aged 15, and daughter, 12, have also had their belongings returned.
She has even been able to take them on a weekend away for the first time in as long as they could remember. But, most importantly, Kelly says she can now afford to do a weekly food shop each week – meaning her cupboards are full of fresh food and everyone in the family has been eating three nutritious meals a day.
Kelly said: "I closed the fundraiser because I knew we had enough - it went to £8,000 in days. I don't want to take what I don't need.
"I have had some trolls sending disgusting messages, but when they go through what I have, they'll understand. Karma always comes back to you - maybe one day they'll look back and realise they preyed on a vulnerable person they don't even know.
"It's been unreal. It's been absolutely crazy. I can't believe the generosity of people. I could never have dreamt or imagined that this would happen.
"I'm so happy. Genuinely happy. Now I actually like waking up in the morning knowing my children are ok.
"All I wanted was to know that my children are happy and healthy. I'd like to thank all the beautiful people who helped me and my children, God bless every single one of you. I hope you all live long and happy lives."
