A US mum-of-five whose toddler is battling stage 4 cancer, was shocked to receive a note from an unnamed neighbour criticising her for the unkempt state of her "eyesore" backyard.
Randa Ragland's three-year-old son, Jaxen, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma stage 4 cancer just days after his third birthday. The toddler is also autistic and non-verbal.
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Ragland, from Pinson, Alabama, says life has become a flurry of hospital visits and surgeries as Jaxen fights for his life. As a result, some household chores have been understandably neglected.
"It's what our entire life is consumed [by], that's all we do," Ragland said in an interview with local channel ABC 33/40.
However, Ragland was not expecting to receive a letter from an anonymous neighbour, outlining why the state of her backyard was offensive to the neighbourhood.
"Neighbour - please take pride and straighten up the exterior of your house. Your eyesore is affecting the resale value of our homes. Who wants to buy a house near you and look at that daily?
"It does not take that much effort, all you have to do is give a sh*t. Do better!"
Ragland shared the letter on Facebook to express her shock at the neighbour's lack of compassion. A number of social media users were also dismayed.
"Maybe the note should have said, I know you're having a hard time, what can I do to help?" one person commented.
Others have branded the letter as "cruel", "nasty" and "selfish".
"I'm just so tired of people being negative," the mother said to ABC 33/40.
"You don't know what anyone's going through."
However, the Facebook post did bring along a positive outcome. ABC 33/40 reports other neighbours, and strangers, have pitched in to help tidy Ragland's yard.
"It has helped my family's faith in humanity," she says.
The family has established a GoFundMe page to raise money for Jaxen's medical expenses. So far, it has raised over US$17,800 (NZ$27,543).
"With my husband on leave of absence at work, he won't be getting a paycheck. And I'm not working," Ragland wrote on the page.
"Jaxen has cancerous cells in his bone marrow and it is covering 75 percent of his body.
"The prognosis is 40-60 percent of living and beating this disease."
Newshub.
