GoFundMe Donates $10K to Oswego Family's Campaign After Saying Photo of Premature Baby Offensive

GoFundMe has made a $10,000 donation to an Oswego family after they claimed the website was unwilling to make their fundraising page available to the public because of a photo showing the family’s premature baby with tubes. GoFundMe had deemed the image to be offensive.

Christina and Jeff Hinks’ son Jacob was born 13 weeks early. He was born at 27 weeks and weighed 1 pound, 8 ounces. A friend of the Hinks family set up a GoFundMe campaign to help offset the costs not only of a premature baby, but other household bills.

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According to a report from NBC Chicago, the family’s fundraising page was only available to those who had a direct link to it.

GoFundMe released a statement to NBC Chicago saying that campaign images must be suitable for all ages and audiences. The fundraising site said it never took down the campaign and that it was always live and able to receive donations.

The Hinks family told NBC Chicago they were “heartbroken” by the company’s decision.

Once the family changed the photo, GoFundMe made the page public and then donated $10,000 to the family.

“This campaign reflects the importance of friends and family, and sometimes even strangers, when families need help the most,” said Kelsea Little, GoFundMe’s media director, in a statement. “We are happy to help the Hinks family in their time of need, just as thousands of other people do every day on GoFundMe.”

The family’s campaign is now featured on the homepage of GoFundMe’s website.