Rachel Beckwith ... fatally injured in a car accident. Photo: APIn her memory, strangers have now made her dream come true many times over.
By Wednesday afternoon, about 10,000 people had donated more than $US400,000 to non-profit organisation charity: water in Rachel's honour, many in gifts of $US9 each.
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On a website set up by Rachel and her mother before her birthday, she explained the inspiration for her project."I found out that millions of people don't live to see their fifth birthday. And why? Because they didn't have access to clean, safe water so I'm celebrating my birthday like never before," she wrote. "I'm asking from everyone I know to donate to my campaign instead of gifts for my birthday."
By her birthday on June 12, $US220 was raised and the page was closed.
But, last Wednesday, Rachel was injured in a 13-car pile-up in Bellevue, Washington. Over the weekend, she was taken off life support and a pastor from her church arranged for the donation page to be reopened.
On Monday, Rachel's mother, Samantha Paul, who was also injured in the accident and has declined to be interviewed, thanked donors online for their generosity.
"I am in awe of the overwhelming love to take my daughter's dream and make it a reality. In the face of unexplainable pain you have provided undeniable hope," Ms Paul wrote. "I know Rachel is smiling!"
Her little sister, Sienna, was also in the car but was not seriously injured.
The total raised by Rachel's appeal for charity: water has been growing exponentially since the weekend, increasing by nearly $US100,000 on Wednesday.
"We've all been so deeply moved by Rachel's unselfishness," said the group's founder Scott Harrison, who used his own 34th and 35th birthdays to raise money to bring clean drinking water to Africa.
Charity: water estimates each $US20 donation is enough to provide one person with clean drinking water for 20 years.
In the past five years, the New York-based charity has raised $US48 million and supported 3962 water projects in Africa, Asia and Central America. The money is spent mostly to dig wells, improve water systems or catch rainwater and the projects usually serve entire communities.
Rachel's fund-raising campaign has quickly become the largest in the history of charity: water, which depends mostly on individuals to invite their friends and families to give money to celebrate a birthday or wedding or other event, spokeswoman Sarah Cohen said.
Rachel was inspired to support the charity when Mr Harrison spoke at her church.
Donors wrote on Rachel's page that they were humbled by her generosity, called her an angel, and some even asked her to say hello to dead relatives.
"What great things can be accomplished by the wish of a little girl," wrote a donor who identified herself as Leann Groby and who donated $US15.
A number of donors were inspired to start their own charity: water pages.
"What a gift from God her charity will be for so many people who will never know her," wrote Gregory Chiartas, who donated $US50 on Wednesday and set up his own page to seek more donations from his friends.
Jeremy Johnson, assistant pastor at Eastlake Community Church in Bothell, which Rachel's family attends, said the community was thankful for the outpouring of support and love for Rachel.
By email, he declined requests for interviews, saying the church was happy about how the campaign had grown and did not want to get in the way of the family or make anyone think they were trying to promote the church.
"Our primary focus now is to make sure that the family doesn't have to incur crippling expenses related to medical or funeral bills. It is to this that we now direct our energies," Mr Johnson wrote.
Another church member is raising money to help the family with their expenses.
AP
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/world/from-220-to-400000-rachels-dream-becomes-a-reality-20110728-1i1cy.html#ixzz1TNBTECS4
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