Christian couple seeking to resurrect 2-year-old daughter draws flak as church starts GoFundMe with $100K goal: 'It’s a scam'
REDDING, CALIFORNIA: A Christian couple, seeking to resurrect their two-year-old dead daughter through prayer, is receiving criticism after church leaders set up a GoFundMe campaign on the couple's behalf to raise $100,000 for the ritual.
The couple, identified as Andrew and Kalley Heiligenthal, called 911 on December 13, after their two-year-old daughter, Olive Alayne Heiligenthal, stopped breathing at their home in Redding, California. Paramedics reportedly rushed the child to a nearby hospital, where she was declared dead. According to a spokesperson from the couple's church, Olive's body was transferred to the Shasta County Coroner's Office, the Daily Mail reported. Kalley, in a heartbreaking Instagram post on Sunday, called for "bold, unified prayers from the global church to stand with us in the belief that He will raise this little girl back to life".
"Her time here is not done, and it is our time to believe boldly, and with confidence wield what King Jesus paid for. It's time for her to come to life," Kalley added while addressing her 240,000 followers on Instagram.
The post garnered swift support from the congregants at Bethel megachurch in Redding, where she is heavily involved with the church music group.
Kalley, who has also produced her own church music albums, continued her calls for prayers for her daughter's resurrection on December 16 and 17 through her social media posts. The church also released a statement, saying: "Since that night, and at the continued request of the Heiligenthal family, Bethel Church has hosted prayer and worship gatherings which consist of singing and prayer."
Reports stated that hundreds of people gathered at Bethel Church on December 17 night for prayer at a ceremony called Olive's resurrection. A spokesperson for the church said that this was the first time the institution had witnessed a public gathering hosted by the church for a resurrection prayer.
The church leaders also set up a GoFundMe account for the couple, stating that the campaign was to cover "unforeseeable expenses the Heiligenthal family will incur, medical and otherwise".
"To help cover unknown expenses for the family during this time and any future expenses for Olive, a GoFundMe page was set up by friends and co-workers of Kalley with all funds going directly to the Heiligenthal family. Bethel Church believes in the stories of healing and physical resurrection found in the Bible (Matthew 10:8), and that the miracles they portray are possible today," the church in a statement said.
The campaign, which has already raised over $43,000, was slammed by some of Twitter users who accused the couple of perpetrating a "scam".
A Twitter user @devilsadvocate wrote: "It’s a con. If you’re a con artist what are the 2 most likely things people will give $$ for? 1. Religion and 2. Saving children. These two figured out a clever way to combine the two for the most donations."
While another @KennethJones5 said: "Sums up religion, some people doing nothing but think they doing something by praying, while someone else makes money off it. Sorry for their loss as I am, they should be allow grieve not held back by others looking bro profit from it."