Fighting for the Fugates (K-Quads)
Donation protected
You may know or may not have heard of Kim Fugate.
She was made quite famous in February of 2014 after giving birth to spontaneous (meaning conceived without fertility assistance) identical quadruplets. You can read and watch their story with just a simple Google search. You can hear about the surprise at birth with the discovery of the 4th girl since they had been told they were having triplets the entire pregnancy. You can hear about how even though they were not planning to have more children since their only daughter was 10, they were happy with the four new blessings. You can read all the lovely, feel-good things that were written about them at that time.
What you cannot read is what happened after all the television stations and newspapers were no longer around. You cannot read about the suffering that Kim has endured since then to care for her family. You cannot find a story online explaining her hardships. I had not even heard of it through the local grapevine of gossip until only a few days ago when my own father mentioned his concern over some of the things he had heard about her situation in a routine telephone conversation and it pricked my heart.
I managed to get her phone number through a family member and called her this morning to get more of her story and to see if she would be okay with me attempting to get help. After a few moments of silence on the phone, she finally began to tell me her story with me probing and prodding for more details along the way. After our conversation was over, I held my face in my hands and wept- not only because of her story, but because that it happened and none of us helped. I hope to change this.
Shortly after the four girls Kenleigh, Kristen, Kayleigh, and Kelsey- also known as the K-Quads- turned one in February of 2015, their father left. The divorce was finalized on September 29th, 2015 and the alimony and child support went into effect on October 1st, 2015. Kim’s ex-husband and the father to her five children has never paid either and his location is currently unknown. According to Kim’s lawyer, he currently owes $42,800 in back-pay. They have been unsuccessful at locating him. Kim was left with four 1-year old daughters and one 11-year old daughter to raise on her own. Prior to having the quads, Kim worked two jobs- one as a United States Post Office mail carrier and one at a sewing factory. She had worked six days a week between the two jobs. However, she could not have work enough hours in a week to pay for childcare for five children plus being a single mom at home with four babies.
All four of the girls were diagnosed with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. This disease can be symptomatic or non-symptomatic. Only one of the girls- Kayleigh- has shown symptoms, but all four are required to have blood draws every six weeks and abdominal ultrasounds every three months to check for cancers and tumors. This has been happening for four years. A single mother with four 4-year old babies having to go for testing every six weeks for four years.
One daughter- also Kayleigh- has cerebral palsy which can occur at any stage of gestation but is more common in premature babies. The quadruplets were born at 28 weeks and spent the first several months of life in the NICU. Kayleigh has had multiple surgeries. She had surgery to release muscle contractures at her groin, knees, and ankles. She has had two separate surgeries on her eyes and has been told that she will soon have to have another eye surgery.
Kayleigh is non-ambulatory which means she cannot walk. She is wheelchair bound. Kim’s vehicle is not wheelchair accessible. Kim’s home is not wheelchair accessible. Kayleigh’s wheelchair is not electric. Let that sink in for a moment. In addition to monitoring three rambunctious 4-year olds, Kim also must carry one up-and-down the steps to the front door of her trailer, in-and-out of the car, and pack Kayleigh’s wheelchair around every time they go anywhere.
This story does not end here.
As if all of this would not be enough, Kim was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer. She underwent aggressive treatments. She completed her chemo treatments in October of 2017. She completed her bilateral mastectomies with reconstruction in December of 2017. She completed her radiation treatments in April of 2018. During the treatments for breast cancer, she developed a blood clot in her heart for which she is still receiving treatment.
Does she get assistance from the government? Yes. She gets $730/month from Social Security Income for Kayleigh because she is physically disabled, and she gets $500/ month in food stamps.
If you break the food stamps down into weeks, she gets $125/ week to feed herself and five children.
As for the $730/ month that she receives from SSI, she has the payments on her used trailer home that she bought for $26,000 because she had to upgrade from her previous two-bedroom home she was living in prior to having the quads. The payments on her $8,000 van that she had to buy to transport five children and four car-seats. Her average electric bill is $400/month. Her average water bill is $40/month. Her average gas bill is $40/month. This does not count gas, house insurance, car insurance, clothes, and day-to-day cost. All of this on a budget of $730/month. She is now at risk for losing her home. She is now at risk for losing her vehicle.
I was awake early this morning researching grants for making her home handicapped accessible. I have been researching who I would talk to at a state or a federal level to see about getting long term assistance. I have been trying to find charities for families in need. I have been trying to find anything that I can find for this family. However, these are all lengthy processes. I could be tied up in bureaucratic red-tape for months. It could be a year or more before and/or if I can get anything done.
Kim, Katelyn (14), Kenleigh (4), Kristen (4), Kayleigh (4), and Kelsey (4) do not have a year. They need us now.
My goal is to raise enough money to pay for her house and vehicle. Hopefully I can also get enough to pay for her home to be made handicapped accessible. Kim has appointed her aunt Kaye Miletello to be the account manager (more in update). Feel free to message or email me with any questions or concerns.
She was made quite famous in February of 2014 after giving birth to spontaneous (meaning conceived without fertility assistance) identical quadruplets. You can read and watch their story with just a simple Google search. You can hear about the surprise at birth with the discovery of the 4th girl since they had been told they were having triplets the entire pregnancy. You can hear about how even though they were not planning to have more children since their only daughter was 10, they were happy with the four new blessings. You can read all the lovely, feel-good things that were written about them at that time.
What you cannot read is what happened after all the television stations and newspapers were no longer around. You cannot read about the suffering that Kim has endured since then to care for her family. You cannot find a story online explaining her hardships. I had not even heard of it through the local grapevine of gossip until only a few days ago when my own father mentioned his concern over some of the things he had heard about her situation in a routine telephone conversation and it pricked my heart.
I managed to get her phone number through a family member and called her this morning to get more of her story and to see if she would be okay with me attempting to get help. After a few moments of silence on the phone, she finally began to tell me her story with me probing and prodding for more details along the way. After our conversation was over, I held my face in my hands and wept- not only because of her story, but because that it happened and none of us helped. I hope to change this.
Shortly after the four girls Kenleigh, Kristen, Kayleigh, and Kelsey- also known as the K-Quads- turned one in February of 2015, their father left. The divorce was finalized on September 29th, 2015 and the alimony and child support went into effect on October 1st, 2015. Kim’s ex-husband and the father to her five children has never paid either and his location is currently unknown. According to Kim’s lawyer, he currently owes $42,800 in back-pay. They have been unsuccessful at locating him. Kim was left with four 1-year old daughters and one 11-year old daughter to raise on her own. Prior to having the quads, Kim worked two jobs- one as a United States Post Office mail carrier and one at a sewing factory. She had worked six days a week between the two jobs. However, she could not have work enough hours in a week to pay for childcare for five children plus being a single mom at home with four babies.
All four of the girls were diagnosed with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. This disease can be symptomatic or non-symptomatic. Only one of the girls- Kayleigh- has shown symptoms, but all four are required to have blood draws every six weeks and abdominal ultrasounds every three months to check for cancers and tumors. This has been happening for four years. A single mother with four 4-year old babies having to go for testing every six weeks for four years.
One daughter- also Kayleigh- has cerebral palsy which can occur at any stage of gestation but is more common in premature babies. The quadruplets were born at 28 weeks and spent the first several months of life in the NICU. Kayleigh has had multiple surgeries. She had surgery to release muscle contractures at her groin, knees, and ankles. She has had two separate surgeries on her eyes and has been told that she will soon have to have another eye surgery.
Kayleigh is non-ambulatory which means she cannot walk. She is wheelchair bound. Kim’s vehicle is not wheelchair accessible. Kim’s home is not wheelchair accessible. Kayleigh’s wheelchair is not electric. Let that sink in for a moment. In addition to monitoring three rambunctious 4-year olds, Kim also must carry one up-and-down the steps to the front door of her trailer, in-and-out of the car, and pack Kayleigh’s wheelchair around every time they go anywhere.
This story does not end here.
As if all of this would not be enough, Kim was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer. She underwent aggressive treatments. She completed her chemo treatments in October of 2017. She completed her bilateral mastectomies with reconstruction in December of 2017. She completed her radiation treatments in April of 2018. During the treatments for breast cancer, she developed a blood clot in her heart for which she is still receiving treatment.
Does she get assistance from the government? Yes. She gets $730/month from Social Security Income for Kayleigh because she is physically disabled, and she gets $500/ month in food stamps.
If you break the food stamps down into weeks, she gets $125/ week to feed herself and five children.
As for the $730/ month that she receives from SSI, she has the payments on her used trailer home that she bought for $26,000 because she had to upgrade from her previous two-bedroom home she was living in prior to having the quads. The payments on her $8,000 van that she had to buy to transport five children and four car-seats. Her average electric bill is $400/month. Her average water bill is $40/month. Her average gas bill is $40/month. This does not count gas, house insurance, car insurance, clothes, and day-to-day cost. All of this on a budget of $730/month. She is now at risk for losing her home. She is now at risk for losing her vehicle.
I was awake early this morning researching grants for making her home handicapped accessible. I have been researching who I would talk to at a state or a federal level to see about getting long term assistance. I have been trying to find charities for families in need. I have been trying to find anything that I can find for this family. However, these are all lengthy processes. I could be tied up in bureaucratic red-tape for months. It could be a year or more before and/or if I can get anything done.
Kim, Katelyn (14), Kenleigh (4), Kristen (4), Kayleigh (4), and Kelsey (4) do not have a year. They need us now.
My goal is to raise enough money to pay for her house and vehicle. Hopefully I can also get enough to pay for her home to be made handicapped accessible. Kim has appointed her aunt Kaye Miletello to be the account manager (more in update). Feel free to message or email me with any questions or concerns.
Organizer and beneficiary
Nila Kaye
Organizer
Jayess, MS
Kaye Miletello
Beneficiary
