health

Ajay Rochester hits back at "bullying" Aussie media.

Former The Biggest Loser host Ajay Rochester would like your money to help her nine month old kitten, Nacho, who’s sick. Her son Kai recently shared a Go Fund Me page where people have been donating their spare cash.

“Hi everyone, I’m asking for help for Kai. In the last year Kai lost his grandpa, his uncle and his best friend. I got him a kitten to help with the healing and they have become best friends. Sadly, Nacho became sick a few days ago and I just don’t have the funds to get the medical help he needs,” she wrote on Facebook.

“Kai has made a GofundMe and is asking people for help. If you could spare a couple of dollars he would be truly thankful (as would I). As most of you know, Kai has Aspergers so not only is he super attached to his cat, but he really doesn’t have many friends and I can’t even imagine how hard it would be for him to have to mourn the loss of his furry friend. Please if you would be so kind as to spare just a couple of dollars. Thank you.”

In just two days, $385 of the $3,500 target has been raised due to donations from over 20 people, but not all responses have been so positive.

Rochester and Kai. Image via Instagram (@ajayrochester)

 

Rochester says she was "brought to tears" by some of the reporting on her funding request and comments that questioned her motivations.

"Have to say I live here in the USA to try to get away from the relentless bullying from the Australian media. Today was the first time in a long time an article has made me cry. My son, who has Asperger's, has a kitten that means the world to him, so much so that HE created a Go Fund Me page to ask for help," she wrote in a follow up post on Facebook.

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"Why it had to turn into a shitty article about me and my son I have no idea. I stand by my darling son who has Aspergers and who many say, because of that, they lack empathy. I applaud my child who struggles with so many things, to love something so much that he asks the world he is so often not a part of for help...You can sit there and write whatever the f*** you want but when my son says he 'Can't survive this' you have to know these words have a deep and lasting impact!".(Post continues after gallery.)

It's not the first time Rochester has sought public help to raise funds - in September last year she took to Facebook to ask for assistance in raising $3000 to help a friend. In 2014 she also appealed for help in paying legal bills for her son after he was charged with felony arson from a school prank gone wrong.

"I need to pay this lawyer. As mother bear I’m doing everything I can to protect my cub. So I’m selling my curvy calendar to help raise enough funds to pay this guy. Please if you can spare US $20 and $8 for postage pls [sic], consider helping us out." she wrote.

Do you think it's OK to ask strangers for help in these kind of situations?