Kindness- paying an old debt forward

I have been blessed with many, many friends around the world due to my creating WUWT, now in it’s 10th year. I have friends in many countries, and people reach out to me in various ways, almost always with a kind hand. I’ve felt blessed because of the global reach this blog has. About five years ago, I started doing something to repay what this website and the kind people who read it have done for me, by doing something at Christmastime to help somebody in need. I’ve always done it anonymously, but this year is different, I have to do it in the open, and that’s where you folks come in.

First of all let me say none of you owe me anything; I’m the one who feels indebted most days. I’m asking for a small favor for those who can do it, so that I can help a friend in need, there’s no shame in passing this by. Readers may recall I’ve done similar things for people in the past, such as help a climate skeptic cattle rancher family escape the bureaucratic nightmares of Australia that had ruined their dream and lives, and helping the family of our beloved moderator, Bob E. Phelan (REP) pay for his funeral when he died unexpectedly. So, this sort of thing isn’t new to me or to this website. I’m proud to say that readers stepped up each time.

So, I have another friend in need, and I’m hoping readers will help.

I have a friend that I worked with years ago in television who was a reporter, a good one, but the job of TV is a cruel one, especially to women, and she has fallen into a hole that sometimes happens to people. Life throws curve balls, some people swing with the pitches, others take a ball to the head.

This is what she looked like during here TV career. Her name is Angie. Now, I know what a lot of you might think “oh, she was on TV, she’s probably rich” well, when you get to New York, Chicago, and big places like that, you can claim a six-figure salary. Working in small market TV like she and I did, in Chico, CA, not so much. It’s pretty basic pay. I made $24,500 a year when I left in 2002.

This is what she looks like now:

She’s in trouble right now, and it is possible she may lose custody of her children, and a lot of it is not of her direct doing, but caused by a medical issue that few people know about: postpartum depression.

When people get this, it usually manifests itself like regular depression, in some cases it’s worse, and all sorts of things can happen. I don’t claim to be an expert, but I can tell you that I have seen what it did to a couple of friends in my lifetime. Massive changes in the body create chemical changes that manifest themselves as changes in behavior, and rational sensible people become entirely different. The Mayo Clinic has this to say about it:

Many new moms experience the “postpartum baby blues” after childbirth, which commonly include mood swings, crying spells, anxiety and difficulty sleeping. Baby blues typically begin within the first two to three days after delivery, and may last for up to two weeks.

But some new moms experience a more severe, long-lasting form of depression known as postpartum depression. Rarely, an extreme mood disorder called postpartum psychosis also may develop after childbirth.

Postpartum depression isn’t a character flaw or a weakness. Sometimes it’s simply a complication of giving birth.

Added: A new study released 12/20 says:  Pregnancy leads to changes in the mother’s brain

She ended up with the latter symptom. She’s on the mend now and herself again, but during that time there was some true misfortunes, and she may lose access to her children. She went to court, and against the advice of friends and family, she acted as her own attorney, defending herself in a divorce with a father that apparently couldn’t understand what was going on, and lost big, not monetarily, mind you, but by access to her children.

Now, I know what you are probably thinking – “why is Anthony asking for help with this“?  First, full disclosure – I have no relationship with this person as we are separated by over 1800 miles. Second, I’ve been there, right where she is. About 30 years ago I had also left television for awhile, I moved away from my family, my career hit the skids, and I found myself unemployed, nearly broke, with no significant other, and severely depressed. I had $15 left in my bank account, and no prospects for employment. When I was at my worst, somebody helped me, and because of that help, it gave me a leg up and I dug myself out of that hole I fell into. Angie has fallen into a similar hole.

Remembering that small kindness back then that changed my life, I’m simply “paying it forward” by using my good fortune of having thousands of readers who might be able to chip in some pocket change, because that’s all that’s really needed here. If 300 people give 20 dollars, she’s met her goal, and that shouldn’t be hard to do with the thousands of daily readers we have. When I helped the Thompson family in Australia, we raised over 20 thousand dollars just like that. When Bob Phelan died, we raised nearly as much. This is a far smaller sum, and so should be easy.

So, pocket change, ten or twenty bucks that’s all I ask. Maybe take a sack lunch this week, or forgo having the usual morning Starbucks latte, or some other small thing-  it all adds up.

Here is the link to the GoFundMe Website where her campaign is setup:

DONATE HERE  (donations closed)

Plus, it’s Christmastime, the season of giving, and what better thing could you do than help a mother stay with her children?

Thanks for your consideration, and Merry Christmas! – Anthony Watts

UPDATE: for anyone concerned about using a credit card, please read this: https://pages.gofundme.com/safety/

UPDATE2: In just over 3 hours, it went from $113 ($100 of that was money I chipped in, $13 from one of her friends) to over $4500 ! My readership really is amazing. Thanks, just a little more to go!

UPDATE3: As of 930PM PST, the $6000 goal has been met, and exceeded. Basically it took under 6 hours. I’m so impressed with WUWT readers, Angie hasn’t seen the total yet, as she’s already asleep in the Central time zone, but I’m sure she’s going to be speechless tomorrow when she wakes up. The GoFundMe site will still accept donations, and if you are now just seeing this, you are welcome to add some additional pocket change to push the total higher if you wish. My sincere thanks to everyone who helped! – Anthony Watts

FINAL UPDATE:

At about 830AM PST this morning PST, the campaign reached $9K, a whopping 50% more than was asked for. I am very proud of our WUWT community. Angie decided that she should end the campaign at that time, since it was one final donation of $317.00, sent anonymously, that made the total exactly $9000., and it just seemed like the right time.

She writes today:

I cannot fully express to you the gratitude I have for so kind and gracious a support system you have chosen to be.

“Some people grumble that roses have thorns. I’m grateful that thorns have roses.” – Alphonse Karr

Thank you for being the magnificent roses while I have been fighting the thorns.

Much love and gratitude,

Angelica, Alaina Grace and Pike