Christmas was coming, her rent was due, and she had no money for either.
Kayla Howard, a single mother of four, received generous donations from people across the country after her seven-year-old son accidentally wiped out her bank account on Roblox purchases.
According to 12News, Howard’s son, who reportedly has autism, spent $897 on the gaming app. The purchases exceeded the amount in her bank account and resulted in overdraft fees, leaving her account negative by over $1,000.
“They explained to me that there was a total of seven unauthorized charges on my account,” Howard said about the call she received from her bank before Christmas.
Howard started a GoFundMe set at the exact amount her account was negative.
“I set the goal to $1,244, and that’s because that’s how negative my account was,” Howard explained.
After reviewing her story, many strangers who could relate to Howard’s situation as a single mother, working two jobs, or raising a child with autism, donated to her campaign.
“The last time I checked, it was at $10,979 dollars!” Howard said. “Ten times the goal.”
Howard shared that she purchased a Christmas tree and surprised her children with gifts for the holiday.
Since reaching the amount, Howard has ceased accepting donations for the campaign but has a new goal of giving back to her community.
“What I’m most excited about doing is actually starting a non-profit named after my daughter specifically to help families of children with autism,” Howard said.
“Thank you to everyone who supported myself and my children during this time. Thank you for reminding me that there are good people in this world,” Howard said.
12News aired a previous report regarding the situation, moving Roblox to refund Howard’s money.
Since the mistake, Howard has made necessary changes to place stipulations on her children’s devices under the Roblox app.