Crooks try to cash in on Darci death

Fake fundraising page set up after girl, 6, dies of leukaemia

The family of a Fife child who died from leukaemia have blasted online criminals who set up a fake fundraising page in her name.

Six-year-old Darci Jackson was buried in Kirkcaldy last month after she lost her battle with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Her parents, Graeme and Amanda, launched a $1 million fundraising campaign in August to pay for potentially life-saving treatment in America, which raised more than £50,000 in just under 24 hours.

It has now emerged that fraudsters set up a second page on the Go Fund Me website, purporting to be collecting money for Darci.

The page has since been taken down and Mr Jackson has pledged to work with authorities to ensure anyone who gave money under false pretences is reimbursed.

“I wish I could catch this sicko,” he said.

The father of a Fife girl whose fight against leukaemia captured hearts and minds across the world has hit out at criminals who have tried to make cash out of the tragedy.

Graeme Jackson and his wife, Amanda, launched a $1 million fundraising campaign in August to pay for potentially life-saving treatment for their daughter, Darci, in America, raising more than £50,000 in just under 24 hours.

Six-year-old Darci, who had leukaemia, died days later in Saudi Arabia, where her family have been living since they emigrated from Kirkcaldy three years ago.

Money raised at her funeral last month was collected in aid of another child, Joshua Nicholson, who was facing a similar cancer battle.

However, it has now emerged that someone has created a second fundraising page purporting to be for Darci and using the same details made public by her family.

The fraudulent appeal, on the Go Fund Me website, has now been taken down, although it is not clear how many donations had been made.

Graeme, 42, took to social media to express his anger, saying he felt “sick to the bottom of my stomach” after learning the news.

“Some sicko has set up a second Go Fund Me page to raise £5,000 for Darci using exactly the same details that we had used,” he said.

“We did not set this page up and have received no funds from this. It has been reported to Go Fund Me and the police.

“I’m so angry that someone would abuse what we are going through. They are sick – it is like-for-like of our original page.”

Graeme pledged he would work with the Go Fund Me website to try to ensure anyone who was cheated into making a donation is fully refunded. “I wish I could catch this sicko,” he added.

Darci’s campaign went viral on the internet and hopes were high that the schoolgirl – who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia – might be able to receive treatment in the United States.

However, her condition deteriorated and Graeme and Amanda had to deliver the heartbreaking news to supporters that their “superhero” Darci had lost her cancer battle.

They paid tribute to their “caring, feisty, brave, courageous, strong-willed and fun-loving little girl” and said she had “put up one hell of a fight”.

The couple, along with Darci’s brother and sister, Daniel and Sienna, returned to their home town of Kirkcaldy to lay her to rest.

Darci Jackson died aged six after an appeal was launched to raise funds for treatment in the United States.