Kate Winslet donates £17k to Tillicoultry mum struggling to pay daughter's rising life support energy bills
dailyrecord.co.ukA Tillicoultry mum facing sky-high energy bills to keep her daughter’s life-support equipment running has told of her shock after Hollywood A-lister Kate Winslet donated £17,000 towards the costs.Speaking to the Observer yesterday, Carolynne Hunter, whose energy bills are set to soar to £1400 per month, has been left overwhelmed after the Titanic star responded to a GoFundMe appeal set up on her behalf, describing her as “a really kind woman”.The family’s plight has made its way across the world, with more than £35,000 now raised, which Carolynne said was “truly heartwarming”.The mum-of-four cares for 12-year-old daughter Freya – the youngest of four children – who has severe complex health problems and disabilities, is non-verbal and blind and requires full-time oxygen and at-home nursing care.Last week, she was contacted by a worker for GoFundMe to inform her that a “high profile” person wished to help towards the costs.
From there, GoFundMe set up the fundraising page on Carolynne and Freya’s behalf – with the first donation coming from the Oscar winner.Carolynne said: “I didn’t create the GoFundMe page, I had just been campaigning (against the rising energy costs) for the last seven months.
I was campaigning the government to do more, not to raise money for Freya.“At first I thought it was a joke. I thought it was a big wind up.”Click here for more news and sport from the Stirling area.However, after seeing the fundraising web page with the mammoth donation, Carolynne was left stunned and has since been in touch with Ms Winslet via email and is happy that the actor’s involvement has allowed a light to be shone on the issue.She added: “Kate has given me a platform to highlight the campaign.“She’s a really kind woman
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