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Christian influencers raising $100K to ‘resurrect’ daughter draw suspicion

‘We are asking for bold, unified prayers … in belief that He will raise this little girl back to life.’

Photo of Samira Sadeque

Samira Sadeque

christian influencers Kalley and Andrew Heiligenthal

A Christian influencer couple says she’s raising money for the “resurrection” of her 2-year-old daughter who died on Saturday. 

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Kalley Heiligenthal, a worship singer with more than 200,000 followers, said that she and her husband Andrew’s daughter Olive Alayne didn’t wake up Saturday morning. Heiligenthal pleaded on Instagram for prayers.

“Her time here is not done, and it is our time to believe boldly, and with confidence wield what King Jesus paid for,” Heiligenthal wrote in the caption of a photo of Olive Alayne. “It’s time for her to come to life.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6GSfYoF3dP/

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A fundraiser set up for the child’s rebirth with a target of $100,000 has raised more than $33,000 in two days. Bethel Church in Redding, California, where Kelley is a singer, is one of the organizers of the fundraiser. 

According to the GoFundMe page, the fundraiser is aimed to raise donations for the family’s “medical and other” costs. The Bethel Church did not respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment.

The Heiligenthals’ Instagram pages and GoFundMe pages are filled with wishes for their daughter’s resurrection: “Declaring ressurection life,” wrote one verified user.

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But a Twitter conversation shows many find the thought of “resurrection” concerning and are questioning the high GoFundMe goal.

GoFundMe’s funeral page recently showed fundraisers following the death of a loved one, including funerals, requested between $25,000 and $35,000, with the highest goal set around $50,000 and the lowest at $17,000. Photos on Heiligenthal’s Instagram page, meanwhile, show a comfortable way of life and regular family vacations. 

“This is either lunacy or a giant scam in the making,” wrote one user. 

https://twitter.com/5thTMNT/status/1206756922642161664?s=20

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https://twitter.com/MauteDebbie/status/1206730012939866112?s=20

https://twitter.com/reality_driven/status/1206669615801257984?s=20

 

The donations on the page are moving fast. By Tuesday afternoon, there were more than 60 individual donations of $100, and a few $500 donations and two $1,000 individual donations. 

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https://twitter.com/wanted2stayhome/status/1207000324193562625?s=20

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Some people are sharing their personal anecdotes of blind faith leading to devastation.

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The Daily Dot has reached out to the Heiligenthals and will update this story if they respond. 

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The Daily Dot