People Rallied To Send This Single Mom To See Her Daughter In The Olympics

"I was more excited when she texted me to tell me, 'Thank you for letting me live out my dreams to go to the Olympics.'"

By
Julia Reinstein
by Julia Reinstein

BuzzFeed Staff

Ariana Washington, a 19-year-old runner from Long Beach, California, really wasn't expecting to make the Olympic team this year. So, when she was chosen just a few weeks ago, her mother, Euna Washington, was overjoyed.

Patrick Smith / Getty Images

Euna, who is a single mother, told KTLA she "can't tell you how many times [she] cried," when she got the news.

"I was more excited when she texted me to tell me, 'Thank you for letting me live out my dreams to go to the Olympics,'" Euna said.

But Euna was faced with the difficult situation of how to afford last minute plane tickets to Rio for herself and her son, Gabe, who has cerebral palsy.

GoFundMe

Clara Randolph, a family friend, started a GoFundMe page to help them get there.

And in just 25 days, they reached and surpassed their goal of $8,000. A total of 185 people contributed to the campaign.

“We just didn’t expect her to make it this year, so it’s come as a surprise,” Euna told Press Telegram. “Everyone has been so generous, we’re really overwhelmed by it.”

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