Good Samaritan raises $377K for veteran, 90, who was forced to pawn jewelry to take care of his dementia-stricken wife
A Good Samaritan has raised more than $377,000 for a 90-year-old veteran who was forced to pawn jewelry to take care of his dementia-stricken wife.
Jenelle Marie, from New Hampshire, started a GoFundMe for her elderly friend, a disabled veteran named Donald, whose wife was recently diagnosed with dementia. The couple, who never had kids, are now without any surviving relatives, she explained.
Marie started the fundraiser after Donald attempted to pawn jewelry at US Gold and Pawn in Manchester to pay off the debt he'd accrued while trying to care for his sick wife.
Donald's landlord had also raised his rent, causing him to 'fall behind terribly on all of his bills' and fear he'd lose his home.
The account has raised a staggering $377,041 of its $400,000 goal as of Monday afternoon.
Jenelle Marie (right) raised more than $200,000 for Air Force Veteran, Donald (middle). Donald, who turns 91 later this month, was falling behind on bills after his landlord raised his rent and he was trying to take care of his sick wife
Maries described her friend Donald fondly in the description, writing that he is the 'sweetest old man you could ever meet and loves his wife dearly.'
'He takes care of her around the clock and his landlord is raising their rent and he is falling behind terribly with all of his bills,' she continued.
'He's deathly afraid he's going to be displaced and that they are going to make his wife go to a home.'
Last week, she surprised him with an envelope containing $1,300 that she had collected before her online fundraiser went viral.
'I could kiss you,' Donald says as he opens the envelope in a video posted to TikTok. Tears sprang to his eyes as he realized what was in the package and begins to count it. 'Oh my goodness.'
When he's told the amount, his face softens and he insists she 'can't do that.'
'Listen, I can't let you do this for me,' he tells her, his voice thick with emotion. 'I could never thank you.'
As Donald becomes at a loss for words, Marie tells him: 'I know you're struggling, I know you're trying to take care of your wife. I appreciate your [military] service.'
With the generous offer - which Marie, her fiancé, and around 25 other people chipped in for - it left Donald with only $80 of debt left to pay and he was able to keep his jewelry.
'You're an angel in disguise, you really are,' he tells Marie. 'I don't know what to say, I really don't know what to say.'
He then said to Marie that he told a man named Hector that the 'lady at the store is a really wonderful, wonderful person.'
'This is the best birthday present anyone has every had!' he exclaims. Donald will turn 91 on August 25.
In a video, Marie presented him with $1,300 that GoFundMe originally raised before skyrocketing to hundreds of thousands. 'You're an angel in disguise, you really are,' he tells Marie
The Air Force veteran insisted he would take Marie to lunch when he could afford it, but she politely declined, insisting her and the other donors simply wanted to help.
'If I could ever get out from under this big rock that's on top of me, I could actually start taking better care of my wife,' he told Marie. 'Right now, there are things I should be doing that I can't afford to do. It really bothers me. I just feel really badly about it.'
'You're doing a great job,' Marie reassures him. 'I'm trying,' he replies.
Marie is also helping Donald look for a new, more affordable home for him and his wife, and had even looked into Section 8 housing for them, she told USA Today.
'I have looked into all sorts of resources, even Section 8 housing for him, and the waitlists are too long,' she said.
'I'm profoundly grateful for everything you've done for me,' he said. 'Thank you so very much. God bless you'
In a follow-up video, Donald - alongside Marie and her fiancé - holds up a giant check worth $250,000 that was collected through a GoFundMe.
'I'm profoundly grateful for everything you've done for me,' he said. 'Thank you so very much. God bless you.'
'When I told him the amount, it was just absolute hysterics from both of us. It was a truly beautiful and emotional moment, something that I will never forget.'
