My Cousin Stole The Money I Saved For My Son’s Surgery – “He’ll Be Fine. Kids Heal Fast”...

my cousin stole the money I saved for my son's surgery HEK be fine kids heal fast she smiled booking a trip to Paris but weak later she regretted it when my cousin Kelly posted that Instagram story of her holding up a glass of champagne on a flight to Paris something felt off I couldn't place it at first then I saw her designer carry on in the next shot and my stomach dropped it was the same day I noticed the money was missing from my account I'm still trying to process everything that's happened in the last

48 hours maybe writing it down will help me figure out out what to do next my son COA is seven and he needs corrective surgery for his leg he was born with a condition that affects his walking it's not lifethreatening but it impacts everything he does the doctors say the surgery will help him walk normally run and play like other kids I've been saving for 2 years every extra shift every weekend every holiday all went into that surgery fund $122,000 it's not exactly Fortune but when you're working at a factory and raising a kid alone

it might as well be a million I kept it in a separate savings account watching it grow slowly COA and I would check the balance together sometimes talking about all the things he'd be able to do after the surgery Kelly moved in with my sister Violet temporarily 3 months ago after losing her job she was always around our place playing with Kaa bringing him little treats looking back I should have seen the signs she kept asking about the surgery date about the payment plans about which account I was keeping the money in I thought she

was just being supportive last Thursday I logged into my account during lunch break to move some money around the surgery fund was empty just gone I called the bank immediately they confirmed several transfers made to a different account over the past week small amounts probably hoping I wouldn't notice right away I felt sick I tried calling Kelly no answer texted nothing then the Instagram stories started popping up first the airport then the champagne then the Eiffel Tower each post was like a punch to the gut she wasn't even trying to hide it I called Violet

who was just as shocked she mentioned going to Paris but she said she'd been saving up Violet said Harvey I had no idea she used my Wi-Fi my laptop sometimes I'm so sorry COA asked me yesterday why I looked so upset how do you explain to a seven-year-old that someone he trusted took his chance to walk normally he showed me the keychain of the Eiffel Tower that Kelly had given him last week looked at just like where cousin Kelly is now the same keychain she probably bought with his surgery money I finally got through to

Kelly this morning on WhatsApp her profile picture shows her at some Cafe croissant in hand when I confronted her about the money her response made my blood boil oh come on Harvey you're being dramatic it's not like it's emergency surgery he'll be fine kids heal fast besides I really needed this trip do you know how depressing it is being unemployed I'll pay you back eventually eventually like my son's childhood is just supposed to wait for her to get around to it I've documented everything the transfers the time stamps the conversations I'm not letting this slide

Kelly seems to think that Family Ties mean she can just take what she wants without consequences she's about to learn differently Violet is helping me figure out next steps the bank is investigating the transfers but they said it might be complicated since Kelly had access to my Wi-Fi and devices while at my house she knew exactly what she was doing making it look like the transfers came from my IP address the surgery was scheduled for next month now I have to call tomorrow and cancel it the thought of telling COA makes me sick he's been

marking off days on his calendar talking about playing soccer with his friends after he recovers I'm not looking for advice about whether to press charges or go to the police that decision's already made I'm going tomorrow morning what I can't figure out is how to tell my son that his surgery isn't happening at least not soon how do I explain that someone he loves chose a vacation over his ability to walk properly Kelly keeps posting stories from Paris like nothing's wrong designer shops fancy restaurants tourist spots each post tags her location each one bought with

money that was supposed to help my son walk she even had the nerve to post a photo of charity donation box at Notre Dame with the caption feeling blessed giving back I've muted her on everything but Violet keeps sending me screenshots you need to document everything she says she's right each post is basically a confession showing exactly where my son's surgery money went the worst part some of our family members are already trying to smooth things over she's going through a hard time they say she'll pay it back like that makes it okay like my

son's childhood is just supposed to be collateral damage for Kelly's hard time I'm not bad backing down not this time COA deserves better than eventually update Kelly just posted another story she's holding up a glass of wine at some Rooftop Bar caption says living my best life sorry not sorry that's fine keep posting Kelly keep showing everyone exactly who you are I'll be at the police station first thing tomorrow update first thank you everyone for the support on my last post a lot has happened in the past week and none of it is what I

expected I thought filing a police report would be the hard part turns out that was just the beginning the police were straightforward since Kelly had access to my Wi-Fi and devices while staying at my place they're treating this as a civil matter they took my statement and documentation but told me I'd probably need to pursue it through small claims court not exactly the response I was hoping for but at least everything's officially documented now meanwhile Kelly's Paris Adventure keeps unfolding on social media like some Twisted reality show yesterday she posted a hul video three luxury

handbags new shoes and what she called her Paris wardrobe upgrade the total she casually mentioned spending would cover coa's surgery and Recovery therapy she even tagged the stores and added living my dreams just wow but here's where it gets interesting remember my sister violet she did some digging and found out Kelly's been telling different stories to different family member to our aunts she claimed I offered to help fund her fresh start to our cousins she's saying the money was a loan we agreed on to her parents she insisted I was being generous because she's family

the stories keep changing but they all have one thing in common somehow I'm the bad guy for wanting it back Kelly's parents called me last night they offered to help with some of the money to keep peace in the family their idea of help $2,000 paid in installments over 6 months because apparently that's a fair solution when their daughter stole $12,000 from her cousin's disabled child I told them I'd rather see them in court the silence on their end was pretty telling Co has been asking questions he's a smart kid he noticed I took down

the calendar where we were counting down to his surgery date I tried explaining that we need to wait a little longer but he just looked at me with those big eyes and asked is it because cousin Kelly needed the money more than me 7 years old and he's already learning some hard lessons about family I got a text from Kelly this morning look I get you're mad but you're making this bigger than it needs to be I'm not stealing I'm borrowing besides what's the rush it's not like coa's dying or anything kids are resilient resilient

like that makes it okay Violet's been amazing through all this she's helped me document everything and even set up a spred she tracking every purchase Kelly's broadcasting on social media evidence she calls it she's right Kelly's basically building our case for us with every post and Story the family's split down the middle now half of them think I should be understanding because Kelly's going through a phase the other half are horrified but don't want to get involved only Violet's openly standing with me she told our Aunt a phase is getting a bad haircut or dating

a drummer not stealing a child's surgery money I had to make some tough calls today first I canceled coa's surgery reservation the hospital put us back on the waiting list but we lost our original spot then I called my bank again they're still investigating but at least theyve flagged the unauthorized transfers small victories I guess Kelly finally answered one of my calls today want to know her brilliant solution she suggested I just start a GoFundMe or something because she's not in a position to pay right now when I reminded her about the designer shopping spree

she just posted she actually said that's different I needed those things for my image how else am I supposed to network for a new job the real kicker came this evening Kelly posted a long Instagram story about toxic family members and learning to put yourself first she even threw in some quotes about negative energy and letting go of people who don't support your growth the irony would be funny if it wasn't so infuriating I'm meeting with a lawyer next week Violet found someone who does free initial consultations the family's already calling me dramatic for bringing

lawyers into family business but you know what I watched COA try to keep up with his friends at the park today limping but determined that's all the motivation I need here's the latest development Kelly's back from Paris instead of laying low she's hosting a Parisian themed dinner party to share her travel experience it she actually had the nerve to invite me and COA the invitation text read let's put all this drama behind us COA would love to see the presence I got him presents like some tourist trinkets could make up for stealing his surgery money

I've got the lawyer meeting on Tuesday Kelly doesn't know yet but she's about to learn that actions have consequences family or not she thinks I'm overreacting fine let's see how she reacts when she gets served with court papers at her little Paris themed party update to sometimes Karma needs a little push after my last update things got worse before they got better but I finally found a way to make Kelly face reality I didn't go to her Parisian dinner party but Violet did she recorded everything on her phone not secretly just openly Instagram storying like

everyone else there Kelly was in full performance mode showing off her Paris photos on her iPad bragging about every purchase then she got to a video that made my blood boil she was at some Cafe holding up her glass to the camera shout out to my cousin Harvey's savings account for making this trip possible sorry not sorry her friends were laughing in the background she actually recorded herself admitting to stealing the money thinking it was funny Violet sent me the video immediately Kelly noticed and started screaming at her to delete it it was a joke

you're ruining the party the whole thing devolved into chaos with Kelly's parents trying to calm everyone down while Kelly kept yelling about family betrayal here's where it gets interesting remember how Kelly's been job hunting turns out she actually landed a position at a local company starting next week well not anymore Violet found the job posting online it was for a Financial Coordinator position you know handling company money the job description specifically mentioned High ethical standards and handling confidential financial information I sent the hiring manager a simple email with links to Kelly's public social media posts

about her Paris trip just the facts here's your future Financial Coordinator bragging about about stealing $122,000 from a child surgery fund no emotional appeal no drama just her own words and actions Kelly lost the job offer within hours she showed up at my house that night pounding on the door how dare you you ruined my career I was going to pay you back with that job COA was terrified by the screaming I had to call the police to get her to leave they recognized her from my previous report about the theft her parents finally saw

the video from the party their tone changed completely instead of defending her they're now demanding she sell her designer bags and Paris wardrobe to start paying back the money Kelly's response she locked herself in her old room at their house and started posting Instagram stories about being attacked by toxic family members and how no one understands mental health struggles the real breakthrough came during a family dinner at our grandparents house Kelly tried to play victim again but this time was different our grandfather who never takes sides in family drama spoke up he'd been watching her

social media posts all along seeing her spend money that was meant for his great-grandson surgery you bought three designer bags while COA can barely walk properly he said the whole room went silent shame on you Kelly started crying but not her usual dramatic tears for the first time she looked genuinely shocked nobody was buying her excuses anymore her own parents backed me up when I mentioned the civil court case then she tried one last manipulation but I'm family how could you do this to family my response was simple COA is family too you chose bags

over his ability to walk the Fallout was immediate Kelly's mom went through her recent purchases and started listing them on resale sites her dad called my lawyer to work out a repayment plan Kelly's still resistant but now she's isolated no more family enablers no more excuses the designer bags are being sold the Paris wardrobe is going too Kelly's parents are making her move back home and taking control of her finances until everything's paid back they found out she has other debt too apparently the Paris trip wasn't the only impulsive spending she'd been hiding Violet's been

helping list things online every time Kelly sees another item sold she starts a new drama yesterday she tried claiming some items were gifts that we had no right to sell her mom shut that down fast gifts bought with stolen money aren't gifts the money is starting to come back slowly not enough for CO's surgery yet but it's progress Kelly's dad set up a direct deposit from their account to M monthly payments until it's all repaid Kelly tried to cancel it but they're not giving her access to any accounts anymore the family Dynamic has shifted completely

Kelly's not getting invited to Gatherings her cousins unfollowed her on social media even her closest friends are distancing themselves after seeing how she's handled all this last night Kelly posted a new story sometimes hitting rock bottom makes you realize who you really are attached was a screenshot of her deleted Paris posts maybe reality's finally sinking in or maybe not just got a text from her hope you're happy my life is ruined and it's all your fault no Kelly you did this to yourself and now everyone knows it the court date is still set for next

month but her parents are pushing her to settle before then either way Co is getting his surgery money back it's just a matter of time final update I didn't expect to be writing another update but after yesterday's events I need to share what happened Karma finally caught up with Kelly in the most unexpected way it started with coa's rescheduled surgery consultation Kelly's parents have been making the monthly repayments as promised and we finally had enough for the down payment as I was sitting in the waiting room filling out paperwork my phone started blowing up with

messages Kelly had shown up at her parents house in hysterics she'd just been rejected from another job apparently her social media history keeps coming back to haunt her every time someone Googles her name they find her Paris post bragging about using borrowed money the internet never forgets instead of taking responsibility she stormed into their house demanding they fix it her mom refused that's when Kelly lost it she started grabbing her mom's designer bags screaming that if they were going to sell her things she'd sell theirs too her dad recorded the whole meltdown on his phone

not to Sham her but because he's learned to document everything now in the video you can hear Kelly screaming you chose Harvey over me your own daughter I hope you're happy with your new favorite child her mom's response was perfect no we chose what's right over what's wrong we failed you by never teaching you the difference that's when Kelly started throwing things she grabbed her mom's phone and tried deleting the video but it was already backed up to the cloud in her rage she picked up a vase a family heirloom from our great-grandmother and smashed

it against the wall the neighbors called the police after hearing the commotion when officers arrived Kelly tried telling them her parents were abusing her by selling her belongings the officers who remembered her from the previous incidents at my house weren't buying it her parents didn't press charges but they did something worse in Kelly's mind they cut her off completely no more paying her phone bill no more emergency credit card no more living in their house they told her she needed professional help and they'd support that but nothing else until she takes responsibility Kelly's response she

went nuclear on social media started posting exposed stories about everyone in the family most were obviously fake she claimed Violet had stolen from stores never happened that I was misusing CO's surgery money for gambling completely false that her parents had abused her growing up they spoiled her if anything nobody believed her her followers had watched her Paris shopping spree seen her brag about using borrowed money and witnessed her steady meltdown over the past months the comments were brutal wasn't this the girl who stole her disabled cousin surgery money still playing victim after stealing from a

child she tried deleting the comments but they kept coming finally she posted a tearful video claiming she was being Cyber Bullied and needed to take a break for her mental health 10 minutes later she was posting on her backup account asking if anyone had a spare room she could crash in nobody offered here's the real Karma though remember that Financial Coordinator position she lost the company posted the job again guess who got it violet she started last week when Kelly found out she showed up at the office causing such a scene that security had to

escort her out now she has a trespassing warning too the family gathered for dinner last night without Kelly her parents brought the final check to cover the remaining surgery money as we were sitting there Kelly started spam calling everyone switching between threats and tearful apologies nobody picked up her last message to me read I hope you're happy you've turned everyone against me I'll never forgive you for this I didn't respond I was too busy helping COA pack his overnight bag for the hospital his surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning Kelly's mom pulled me aside before

leaving she was crying but not from Madness thank you she said for Having the courage to stand up to her we should have done it years ago this morning something unexpected happened a package arrived at my door inside was an envelope with $2,000 in cash and a handwritten note dear Harvey and COA this is all the money I have left I sold my laptop and some other things I'm sorry it's not more I'm sorry for everything I know sorry isn't enough but it's all I have right now Kelly I added the money to CO's Recovery

Fund he'll need physical therapy after the surgery and every bit helps as for Kelly last I heard she's staying at a youth hostel applying for jobs under a different name and finally starting therapy her parents are sticking to their boundaries they'll pay for counseling but nothing else until she shows real change CO's surgery is in 12 hours he's nervous but excited this morning he said something that put everything in perspective Dad when I can run I'm going to run so fast that all the bad stuff can't catch us run fast kid you've earned it this

will be my last update thank you all for the support throughout this journey sometimes standing up to family is the hardest thing to do but it's also the most necessary