Jason Steele, a surrealist animator better known as FilmCow, has pleaded with his fans to help his mom, the inspiring force behind his most popular series, Charlie the Unicorn.
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During the golden age of the internet, in 2008, abstract and surrealist animator Jason Steele released his animated short Charlie the Unicorn. Fans have since watched the video tens of millions of times. And that’s just the first entry in the series.
On March 18, Steele uploaded a video where he explained a recent plight that had beset his mom and her husband, and asked his fans for help.
He explained how Charlie the Unicorn was a birthday present to his mother, Stephanie, and now she’s in need of help.
“My mother’s had a bit of a crisis come up, so if Charlie the unicorn has ever brought you any joy, please consider helping if you can,” he began. For the past nine years, Stephanie, her husband, and their two cats, have been living happily in a cabin in Tennessee.
“Unfortunately, their landlords have rather abruptly decided they want to move a family member into the cabin, and they’ve given Stephanie and Butch 40 days’ notice to pack up their lives, find a new home, and move.”
Fans Have Already Amassed Over $85K To Help
Jason Steele explained that Stephanie is 68 years old and legally disabled.
“She has severe spinal stenosis as well as an autoimmune disorder. And on top of all that, her mobility has been severely impacted by a botched knee surgery,” he explained. Her partner, Butch, was also recently diagnosed with prostate cancer.
To help his parents, Jason Steele set up a GoFundMe with a goal of $20K. As of writing, however, the fundraiser has already racked up over $85,000. And that’s not taking into account the paid comments under the video to help the couple further.
The majority of comments under the video are from fans giving money, so I can comfortably estimate that altogether, fans have given close $100K, if not over.
In an update on the GoFundMe, Jason Steele wrote, “From the bottom of my heart, thank you. This has been a very stressful week, but your extreme generosity has given my mom and her husband (and their two cats!) a much easier path forward.”