Kacee Rhode’s story of being dumped as a baby in a Sri Lankan street before Rutherford couple Mark and Gail Rhodes adopted her, certainly hit a nerve.
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Kacee’s quest to raise $1000 for the orphanage which helped save her life, has received a substantial boost, not only from Maitland residents but from people around the globe taking the most recent tally to almost $4000.
Fairfax Media told Kacee’s story last week and provided a link to her Go Fund Me page.
News of her crusade to help the Peter Weerasekera Children’s Home reached almost 18,500 people through The Mercury’s Facebook page and was widely shared both locally and in Canada where Kacee now lives.
Kacee will return for the first time to her birth country and the orphanage that took her in, to learn where she came from and to give a little back.
As she grew up the a former St Mary’s in Maitland student, vowed she would always return to her birth place. Next month she will make that trek with her dad and her fiance Phil Jegard.
“I’m completely overwhelmed by the amazing response I received from the newspaper article on my fundraiser,” Kacee said.
“I’m so grateful for the donations I’ve received from family, friends, and even people I’ve never met before.
“I can’t thank everyone enough. “I’ve almost hit $4000 which is so unbelievable,” she said.
“I’ve had people in similar situations to me, reach out to me and tell me their stories of adoption and sending me their best wishes.
“I’m so thankful for everyone who has contributed and shared the fundraiser, it means the absolute world to me, and it’s going to mean even more to the kids at the orphanage.”