A MUM has come under fire after begging people on the internet to help her raise almost £1,000 to fix her vehicle.
Single mum-of-three Amy-Leigh McInerney took to TikTok in a desperate attempt to find cash to fund the necessary repairs o her car.
Sharing a link to Just Giving, the 32-year-old explained that the car – ”essential” for her family – had been fixed by ”a garage” less than a year ago – however, the job hadn’t been done properly.
Since then, the motor has failed MOT and needs a lot of fixing to be deemed safe.
”Seven months ago, I entrusted a garage with my vehicle, paying them £700 for repairs they claimed to have completed,” she claimed on the page.
”Unfortunately, just a month later, my exhaust fell off, followed by bent wheel bearings and an engine light that now screams oil failure.
”My car has failed its MOT and requires substantial work.”
Although Amy-Leigh does ”everything” she can to keep the family afloat ”amidst overwhelming challenges”, the mum said she needed extra financial help – as having a functional car is a must for her.
According to the mum, the school is not on a bus route and two of her children ”won’t take public transport”.
”Two of my children are diagnosed with autism and I have little one at 5 all who depend on me to get them to school and swimming lessons – something I cannot do without a functioning car.”
She went on: ”I am swallowing my pride and reaching out for help.
”Any contribution, even just £1, will make a significant difference in our lives.
”Thank you from the bottom of my heart for considering supporting us during this difficult time.”
So far, at the time of writing, Amy-Leigh, who posts under the username @amymc2021, has raised £135 of the £800 target she claims she needs.
In a recent video on TikTok, the mother also shared footage of her daughter in what appeared to be a school uniform, who was seen walking a dog.
She wrote: ”My delusional self thinking I can raise £800 to fix my car, so she doesn’t have to walk 55 minutes just to get to school.”
Single Parent Facts and Figures
Single parent charity Gingerbread is fighting to create a society where all single parents and their children thrive. These are the organisation’s latest figures on single parenthood…
- There are two million single parents with dependent children in the UK, 89% of which are headed up by single mums
- A depressing 44% of children in single parent families are in poverty compared to 26% in couple families
- Around 13% of single parent households with dependent children used a food bank in the last 12 months compared to 3% of couple households with dependent children
- Less than 1% of single parents are teenagers, and this continues to decline – with the average age of a single parent in the UK being 39-years-old
- Research found that 36% of single parent families with dependent children have no savings, compared to 17% of couple families with dependent children
The heartbreaking clip, posted just two days ago, has already racked up over 240k views, with many racing to offer a helping hand.
But while some felt sorry and were touched by the story, others were less empathetic, as they flooded o share their thoughts.
One suggested a cheaper alternative, writing: ”Would you not buy a wee cheap buggy? Just to save the baby walking almost 2 hours every day.”
Another agreed, commenting: ”my delusional self think how good the less than an hour walk is for her health and mind before she gets to school…”
Someone else chimed in: ”Nothing wrong with walking to school, quality time with her beautiful dog.”
A fourth, meanwhile, came in with a variety of alternatives Amy-Leigh could look into.
”Small loan? New credit card? Credit limit increase? Put some stuff on Vinted? Some garages offer finance on repairs.
”Do you receive any benefits? Could get an advance. Nothing worse than a broken car.”
Responding to some of the comments, the mum-of-three replied, claiming she is currently ”exploring all avenues”.
”Two of my children are autistic so I’m trying to keep them safe as well.”