Kate Winslet gave $20,000 to help a mom and her disabled daughter pay their soaring energy bills

• Kate Winslet donated £17,000 ($20,100) to a family facing soaring energy bills, BBC News reported.
• Carolynne Hunter said the cash will cover the cost of her disabled daughter's life support equipment.

Kate Winslet has donated £17,000 (about $20,100) to a mom in Scotland whose disabled daughter needs life support equipment that uses large amounts of electricity, resulting in soaring energy bills.

The donation was first reported by BBC News.

Freya Hunter, 12, suffers from severe cerebral palsy and needs oxygen for her chronic breathing problems. She's the youngest of Carolynne Hunter's four children.

The family's annual energy bill is already about £6,500, which covers the cost of Freya's life support, as well as heating their home.

But Clackmannanshire Council, the local authority in the family's hometown of Tillicoultry, Scotland, warned that their bill could rise to £17,000 next year after a big jump in the cost of energy.

After reading about the Hunters' struggle online, Winslet and her family donated £17,000 to their GoFundMe and contacted the family to wish them well.

Carolynne Hunter told BBC News: "When I heard about the money I just burst into tears — I thought it wasn't even real. I'm still thinking is this real?"

The family rely on help from at least two nurses and care workers, who monitor Freya's heart rate and oxygen levels and conduct regular suctioning to ensure her airways remain clear.

"We're still freezing and we're not even at minus temperatures yet," said Carolynne Hunter, per BBC Scotland. "I am nipping at the staff not to put the heating on unless it's necessary."

In recent months, the 49-year-old mother has sought to highlight the challenges faced by people like her struggling to fund vital medical care for their children amid soaring inflation and energy bills.

She told BBC Scotland: "I didn't speak out to get donations but at the same time I have to make sure that Freya is OK."

While grateful for the actress's donation, she thinks the Scottish and UK governments should take more responsibility: "I'm going to be helped but what about everyone else? I wanted the government to pay for it and do the right thing – it shouldn't have to be a celebrity that steps in."

Clackmannanshire Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.