- A TikToker said her dog needed surgery on her spine, but that her family couldn't afford to pay.
- After she went viral with her story, she set up a GoFundMe page and has so far raised over $14,000.
A TikToker who posted a tearful video about her need to raise funds for her injured dog has gone viral, leading online supporters to donate over $14,000 dollars to her in a single day.
"If 6000 dollars doesn't fall from the sky in two days i have to put my best friend down. idk what to do," wrote a user called Bellah Hambleton in a TikTok posted on August 9. The video, which went viral and received 8.5 million views, showed her appearing to cry, with a picture of her dog Alexa displayed in the background.
In the caption below her post, the TikToker said Alexa needed surgery due to a ruptured disc in her spine, but that her family was unable to afford it.
"I refuse to let her go when surgery could save her. I hate being poor," she wrote.
@idislikeallofyou1 she has a ruptured disc in her lower spine and the only option is surgery which my family doesnt have the money for. and i refuse to just let her go when surgery could save her. i hate being poor.
♬ softcore - ☆
Commenters expressed sympathy and said they hoped Hambleton was able to find the money in time. One top comment encouraged the TikToker to set up a GoFundMe page in the hope that viewers who saw her video would be able to help her raise the money.
Others suggested that they were commenting on the post to "boost" it to other viewers who might be able to make a donation. It is commonly believed that more interactions will help a TikTok video get pushed out to more viewers through the app's algorithm, although this is not explicitly stated by TikTok.
Later that same day, Hambleton said she had set up a GoFundMe page for viewers who wanted to donate towards the cost of Alexa's surgery. She wrote in the description that a specialist told her surgery would actually cost $13,000, including rehabilitation costs.
@idislikeallofyou1 started to tear up but seriously thank you all so mf much.
♬ original sound - Billie Eilish Home
After being up for only around a day, the GoFundMe has raised $14,375. In the description on the page, the TikToker said she would be donating any spare money after the surgery to a local animal charity.
"I truly am so grateful and appreciative of the pure kindness I've gotten from total strangers," she wrote, adding, "The internet and human compassion is a beautiful thing."
@idislikeallofyou1 #duet with @bell ☕️ ♬ original sound - Billie Eilish Home
Hambleton has continued to share updates about Alexa's health on her TikTok account, including images of paperwork estimating charges for the procedure, which were labeled as being from a veterinary emergency hospital, and videos and images of herself, her family members, and Alexa which she said were taken inside the hospital. Commenters on TikTok have been sending Alexa their well-wishes and prayers for a speedy recovery. Hambleton did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
Pleas for financial aid have been known to take off on TikTok, particularly when recipients mention they are in a particular situation of need. For example, in May, online users raised over $50,000 for a traffic cop who said she and her family were going to have to "pull it together" and "pray" to cope with their financial difficulties in a TikTok video posted by acts of kindness creator Zachery Dereniowski.
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