Log in

View Full Version : Please consider helping this former "make a Wish" kid out



AniaR
09-28-2016, 08:28 AM
Folks, I don't normally share gofundmes for tails, but this story is a little different so stick with me. You all know I was scammed on my first major tail purchase, sold something made of POISONOUS MATERIALS that fell apart on the first use, not made for me at all, and charged more than the going price at the time for it. So I appreciate how bad stuff like this happens.


This young mermaid was supposed to get a tail while she was suffering with serious illness as part of MAKE A WISH while she was still a teen. After waiting years for her tail she is left with something totally unusable and in worse condition than the first tail I dealt with.
I don't normally ask for people to donate to tail fundraisers but I think this one is different. I was a wish kid, I was sent to Disney while coping with bad things as a child. Having your wish granted is supposed to give you a boost, not become a 4 year saga of horrible pain.
Moreover, this woman's idol was verbally abusive to her on numerous documented occasions despite her efforts to be empathetic and patient. It's really sad.


We all deserve to be mermaids and have our dreams, and I understand more than most how long it can take sometimes... but it takes even longer when someone scams you and I've had it happen to me twice. I've seen it happen to many of you with nonexistant fishbutts tails, Mermaid Creations Tails, and Merberry tails. I have supported many fundraisers to help people get tails again after those fiasco.
So please, even if you can't spare a few $$ please show some love and share and encourage this mermaid too.

The main issue is that he probably sent her a totally different tail not made for her, clearly. but accepted the $5000 from Make a wish to make a custom tail. While the tail maker deals with health issues etc (who doesn't now a days?) the mer was very empathetic to his situation and kind, and treated with abusive commentary by the tail maker.

(I've also encouraged the mermaid to see if she can sell the old tail for a little bit of $$ to put towards this- but sell it honestly about all the flaws etc)

https://www.gofundme.com/2rnpryc

Also, you can see the history of what happened between this mer and the tail maker over the two years worth of screen shots of their conversations here: https://www.facebook.com/chantesprings/posts/1124729064241340

I just want to say, this was very upsetting for me because I really loved and looked up to the tail maker in question. BUT I will say, I and several others have seen this behaviour from them before, we just explained it away due to their hard times and illnesses (and really, we should of never done that) I have fundraised for this tail maker, put them in my book, personally supported them and helped them when they came to convention.... when all of this came about I went above and beyond to talk with him privately to try and help him sort this mess out and get him to apologize to the mermaid. Even a simple, "look, I wasnt at my best due to illness and I shouldn't have spoken to you that way" would have TOTALLY helped the situation, but instead he threatened her and chose to lie to me multiple times :( :( :(

Many others in the community have reached out to him and had the same experience and it is super super upsetting. It has escalated fairly bad on facebook but hopefully here we can keep the context more on helping out the mer in question.

I put all that there for context so you understand exactly how screwed over this mer really was, and all the while she is also dealing with SEVERE illness (make a wish doesn't get involved for a cold people) and does dialisis frequently.

I hope we can eventually help this mer get their tail! I wouldn't normally promote just any old fund, but this was supposed to be their make a wish, it ate the entire make a wish budget. Some kids take their whole family to Disney. She could of gotten an immaculate tail from someone else for 5k but she chose this person because she loved and respected them.

LouLouBelle
09-28-2016, 09:37 AM
It's bad enough when a new tail maker turns out to be a scammer, but it's even worse when it's someone so well known and respected. You really don't think something like that is going to happen.

Looking at the before and after pics, it doesn't even look like the same tail anymore. If that had come from a complete newbie you would have put it down to them not having a clue how to make or alter tails.

But. This guy DOES know what he's doing! It looks like a deliberate poor effort. Like he's trying to prove a point.

He feels hard done-by so he's spitting the dummy out and throwing out a rubbish tail as a protest. Pathetic, childish, and very very sad.

I've messaged her on Facebook offering to make a tail at material and postage cost if she would like. I would do the whole thing for free if I could afford to!

If she'd rather wait and save for FinFolk, fair enough - and I'll donate something after my next pay.

I hate seeing people being screwed over like this. I'm never sure whether it leaves me more angry or sad.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

AniaR
09-28-2016, 01:53 PM
to be totally honest, I am not sure if the tail maker intended to scam her. But he did accept $5000 from a charity to do this. I understand that people get sick and are elderly, but he was sick and elderly when he accepted the money. it wasn't a new development that delayed things you know? Plus all along the mermaid was very understanding about his circumstances. You can see from the messages that if he said too busy or sick she'd wait another 1-2 months before asking him again.

For me this is two things: the tail was meant to be a wish and wait times and broken promises aside, at the end of the day she can't use it. And the other is the way she was treated is just salt in the wound.

it's SO WONDERFUL you made an offer to her. I hope she figured something out.

LouLouBelle
09-28-2016, 02:22 PM
I've just watched the videos she posted on Facebook. It's heartbreaking - and she's been a lot more understanding than I think I would have been. So much respect to her for that!

She's said she'd rather wait for a finfolk tail (like I said, fair enough!) so I'll be donating when I get paid next month.

Now that I've finished my own tail, I want to do some more watercolour work. I might do a few mini sea-themed pieces and sell them for this...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Princess Kae-Leah
09-28-2016, 09:23 PM
Is there anything I can do to help?

LouLouBelle
09-29-2016, 04:33 AM
Best ways to help are to donate if you can, and share the link for the go fund me with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, etc. [emoji846]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Vicky Mermaid
09-29-2016, 10:51 AM
I watched the whole thing on Facebook. I hope she will get a nice tail afterall. Also i'm very surprised that the tail maker unfriended me on FB just because i said that i hope they will work it out...

AniaR
09-29-2016, 12:11 PM
I watched the whole thing on Facebook. I hope she will get a nice tail afterall. Also i'm very surprised that the tail maker unfriended me on FB just because i said that i hope they will work it out...

After the very first post I made on the mermaid's stuff, the tailer maker sent me a nasty message and unfriended me. And I was very fair in that first post because it was before all the evidence came out and I was basically just asking for more information and said she should be careful of her tone, and provide evidence for her claim. The tail maker decided I was taking her side. In my messages with him I tried to very fairly and calmly understand his side and in that time she posted all her proof and he unfriended me. It was very very very disappointing. I tried to encourage him to work things out with her and apologize and not escalate... that didn't happen lol

AniaR
09-29-2016, 01:12 PM
Nichole made an update video, https://www.facebook.com/chantesprings/videos/1127504473963799/