Maybe it's just me being a cynic, but there is something about this new wave of crowd-funding that doesn't quite sit right with me. While I have no doubt that the majority of people are raising money for a good and legitimate cause, stories like this one help sow a seed of doubt in my mind.

If you've been on the internet lately, you will more than likely have come across a GoFundMe appeal from someone on your social media timeline. Whether they're running the marathon or simply trying to raise the funds for a holiday, the motive behind this funding can vary from case-to-case. However, while a lot of people are happy to lend a hand and send over some cash, it's impossible to know where it actually going.

Sadly, the rise in this method of money-raising has seen a rise in people taking advantage of the generosity of others.

When Hanna Dickenson from Melbourne, Australia, told her friends and family that she had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, they were naturally devastated. At just 19-years-old, Hannah claimed that she only had a matter of weeks to live and appealed to anyone she could to help fund her overseas treatment in New Zealand and Thailand. According to the teenager, the treatment could prolong - or even save - her life.

Obviously keen to see her return to good health, those close to Hanna set about raising the money for her, with them pulling together to raise AUD $42,000 ($32,000) altogether.

However, while the fundraising for Hanna was done in good-faith, the same can't be said for her motives. In reality, Hanna wasn't ill at all. Instead, she had plotted a plan in order to scam her loved ones out of a lot of cash to run her party lifestyle.

After receiving the money, Hanna continued her life of drinking, partying and extravagant holidays. However, much to her detriment, she wasn't exactly sly about it. After continuously posting images of her escapades on social media, Hanna was caught out by one of the men who had donated money to her cause.

"I started looking into it, doing my homework," Hanna's neighbour Nathan Cue, who had donated AU $20,000, said. "I spent a fair bit of time and sussing things out, and yeah, 100 percent scammed. So that's when I took it to the police," he told Australian TV programme A Current Affair.

Hanna, who is now 24, recently appeared in court and has been charged with seven counts of obtaining property by deception. She has been sentenced to three months in prison and 150 hours of a community service. She has also been sentenced to have treatment for her mental health issues and substance abuse.

Speaking about the case, Magistrate David Starvaggi described Hanna's actions as "despicable." According to the judge, she had "engaged in conduct that tears at the very heartstrings of human nature".

"People's desire to assist and social trust has been breached. These are people who worked hard and dug into their own pockets."

So, while I appreciate the generosity of those who give money to GoFundMe's, it's always important to check where the money is going. Sadly, there are quite a few rotten people out there.

A terminally ill mom has shared the devastating moment she told her young son she's dying of cancer.

Dr. Nadia Chaudhri, a 43-year-old mom-of-one from Montreal, has been fighting ovarian cancer throughout the past year.

Sadly, in recent weeks, the doting parent was given an updated prognosis and learned that the cancer was terminal.

Taking to Twitter on May 11, the brave mom - who is a neuroscientist and professor - told her followers: "Today Is the day I tell my son that I'm dying from cancer. It's reached a point where he has to hear it from me.

"Let all my tears flow now so that I can be brave this afternoon. Let me howl with grief now so that I can comfort him."

Dr. Chaudhri's heartbreaking post was instantly seen by thousands of social media users, racking up more than a million sympathetic likes as many called her "inspirational".

One person wrote: "Inspirational and strong, I really hope and pray you get more precious time to spend with your son."

Others could relate to her upsetting situation and shared their own stories, with one person writing: "My heart is with you @DrNadiaChaudhri. This coming from a Pakistani American daughter who also lost her mom to Ovarian cancer (‘07).

"My mom's diagnosis came senior year of college (‘04) & I had to decide between finishing up college or be there for her. In the end I did both."

A third added: "I have no words...my heart is truly broken."

On the same day as her initial tweet, Dr. Chaudhri shared that she was touched by the overwhelming response her story had garnered within just a day.

She wrote: "I'm overwhelmed by the response to this tweet, which I wrote while howling in bed. Since you're here, I am raising funds to support underrepresented scholars in my field. If you'd like to help me make my fundraising goal that would make my [heart] swell."

Later on, the doting mom told her followers that she had shared the devastating news with her young son.

She explained: "Our hearts broke. We cried a lot. And then the healing began. My son is brave. He is bright. He will be okay. And I will watch him grow from wherever I am. Today was the hardest day of my life. Thank you for all for your love."

Dr. Chaudhri's Go Fund Me to help fund awards for young scientists has raised $188,446 CAD ($155,600 USD) at the time of writing, exceeding its initial goal of $150,000 CAD ($123,800 USD).

We wish Dr. Chaudhri and her family all the health, strength, and happiness as she continues to battle her ovarian cancer.

Featured image credit: Pixabay / Pexels

A 16-year-old boy from the UK, initially believing he had a pulled muscle, was later diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. The tumor, located in his pelvis, grew to the size of a watermelon. Despite undergoing chemotherapy and surgery, the cancer was deemed terminal.

The teenager first noticed discomfort in his hip, which he attributed to a sports injury. As the pain intensified and his mobility decreased, medical examinations revealed the presence of a large tumor. Further tests identified the cancer as a rare and aggressive sarcoma.

She told The Independent: "We went to see a nurse practitioner who lifted Jack's shirt and she didn't even touch him or examine him and within two minutes we were out she said ‘oh it’s just a pulled muscle don’t do anything and if it doesn’t go down come back in eight weeks."

The boy's mother expressed her devastation upon learning of the diagnosis. She emphasized the importance of early detection and urged others to seek medical advice if they experience persistent pain.

The family has since focused on creating meaningful memories together. They have received an outpouring of support from their local community, including fundraising efforts to help cover medical expenses and facilitate special experiences for the teenager.

A family friend commented on the community's response.

The teenager's school has also been supportive, organizing events to raise awareness about rare cancers and providing counseling services to students affected by the news.

In light of this situation, medical professionals stress the importance of paying attention to persistent or unusual pain, especially in young individuals. Early detection of cancer can significantly improve treatment outcomes.

The family continues to cherish their time together, focusing on the teenager's comfort and happiness. They remain hopeful for advancements in medical research that may one day provide more effective treatments for rare cancers.

For those interested in supporting the family or learning more about rare sarcomas, local community centers and cancer research organizations can provide resources and information.

In other news, a woman who was diagnosed with stage 4 terminal lung cancer has opened up about the five warning signs she ignored for months.

Linda Chavez was only 34 when she found out that she had Metastatic Bronchial Carcinoma after a series of misdiagnoses. 

The woman, who is a wife and mother of two, claimed that for years doctors attributed her symptoms to less serious conditions.

By the time Chavez was diagnosed, the disease progressed to a terminal stage after it had spread to her brain and bones.

She now uses her TikTok page @theterminalcancershow to regularly update her followers about her condition and raise awareness about the disease.

In a recent video shared on the platform, the now-35-year-old collaborated with Young Lung Cancer Is A Thing to talk about the subtle signs she noticed before receiving her devastating diagnosis.

A GoFundMe page has been established by Chavez's brother-in-law, Kyle Gregory, to support her cancer treatment.

On December 3, an update on the fundraiser revealed that the TikToker was diagnosed with Leptomingeal dissemination disease, which means cancer has traveled to the cells of the fluid in her brain.

Due to this, Chavez will be "in [and] out of the hospital for labs, procedures, and a rigorous new infusion regime".

“It's no doubt the kids and family, friends, and even social media followers breathe life into Lin and her fight," the update continued. “To those who know Lin, she's a fighter through and through and won't go down without fighting the good fight."

Featured image credit: SDI Productions / Getty

People have been left outraged after discovering that a seven-year-old girl in Alabama is selling lemonade inside her family-owned bakery to fund her brain surgeries.

Elizabeth Scott is the mother of Liza who suffered a seizure earlier this year, leading doctors to discover "multiple cerebral malformations in Liza's brain that require immediate attention to prevent further seizure, possible bleeding, hemorrhage, or stroke."

Scott said that while doctors typically only find one of these malformations, her daughter has three.

In an interview with CBS 42, she said: "She has three cerebral malformations. One is what they call a schizencephaly. So it's a cleft in the frontal lobe in the right side of her brain, and we think that's what causing the seizures."

Scott explained that her daughter now needs to have surgery at Boston Children's Hospital, 1,275 miles away from their home.

Despite Scott purchasing additional medical insurance to help fund the surgery, the family has still been left with $10,000 out-of-pocket as a result of additional travel, hotel, and medical expenses.

The seven-year-old is therefore attempting to offset some of this cost by selling lemonade for $25.

"I can't handle it. So, I hope I make it," Lisa said. "My mom keeps saying I'm going to, but I feel like I'm not."

As remarkable as little Lisa is, after her story was broken, many people took to social media to share their frustrations about the current state of the US healthcare system.

One Twitter user wrote: "The fact that a seven year old [sic] has to raise money for her own brain surgery is so unfathomably evil that no words could possibly do it justice. We need Medicare for All immediately."

A second added: "I'm so sick of articles like this. Give me a detailed explainer on why a 7-year-old girl cannot get brain surgery, who is responsible, and who is profiting. Focusing on the lemonade stand is letting everyone who created the system that forced her into this off the hook."

A third wrote: "The American pay-to-live healthcare system is inhumane. No child should have to sell lemonade to pay for brain surgery. We need a #MedicareForAll healthcare system. Everyone in. Nobody left out. No co-pays, no deductibles, free at the point of service."

Meanwhile, a fourth summed up the story, writing: "This is not a feel-good story."

Hopefully, Lisa is able to make the money she needs for her surgery.