Thanks to the amazing kindness shown by hundreds of strangers, a 108-year-old Christian woman can now live the remaining years of her life without fear of being evicted from her home.
Carrie Rausch, who was born in 1909, has been living in an assisted living facility, in Columbus, Ohio, for three years. A few months ago, Rausch suddenly faced the prospects of eviction and transfer to a nursing home, which she dreaded. This came about after the management of the assisted living facility she has called home no longer accepted her Medicaid payment, according to CBN News.
Rausch was left with no other financial means to pay the rent for the housing facility since she has already spent her biggest assets, including the proceeds from the sale of the house she and her late husband built after marrying in 1934.
Her daughter Susan Hatfield then thought of a way to raise funds to pay the rent. She set up a GoFundMe page with the lofty goal of raising at least $40,000 from donors to cover one year of room and board.
Amazingly, three months after the fund drive was started, more than 900 people, total strangers, heeded the call for help and generously donated money that has now reached over $ 56,000 as of Tuesday, Jan.17.
With the donations, Rausch can now stay in her home for at least one more year. Thanking God for the unexpected blessings Rausch has received, her family said the unused funds will be donated to St. John's Lutheran Church, where Rausch is a lifelong member.
"What an amazing testament to the existence of basic human kindness in a time when it sometimes seems in short supply," said Hatfield. "We thank you all so very much."
She said her mother's trust in God has never wavered even in the toughest of times.
"My mom has always said the Lord will take care of her," Hatfield said.
Despite her advanced age, Rausch has not lost her zest for life as she continues to live an active lifestyle, using her walker to attend family functions. She still greeting everyone she meets, her daughter said, according to Fox News.
On her mother's longevity secret, Hatfield said it's because of her mom's "life-long dedication to good nutrition, beginning in the 1950s before it was easy to do, and always maintaining a good attitude."
