Family Feuds Over Money Raised To Help Theater Shooting Victim
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - Fundraising efforts to help a woman hurt in the Aurora theater shooting is turning into a fight between two sides of her family.
Farrah Soudani, 22, is back recovering at the University of Colorado Hospital after previously being released. She suffered serious injuries in the shooting and doesn't have health insurance.
Farrah Soudani's parents and a friend announced that $154,000 has been raised in donations to go into a trust to assist in her recovery.
"When they brought her in here to the hospital (it was) very questionable as to whether she might make it," Farrah Soudani's mother Heidi Soudani said.
The donations were collected on websites called GoFundMe.com and TheChive.com. Farrah Soudani's older brother, Jordan Soudani, said he has issues with those donations.
"My concern is primarily that the funds will not go exclusively into a trust created for Farrah in solely her benefit," he said.
He and other family members have set up a different website and trust, which has now raised $95,000.
"A lot of people, including myself, don't see why there should be a point of having two funds, but that doesn't really bother me," Farrah Soudani said.
She said that her main concern is that the money goes into a trust fund designated for her.
"I'm very sorry that there have been misunderstandings, miscommunications; I love my son dearly and we are all working for the benefit of Farrah," Heidi Soudani said.
Lawyers said the original websites are single beneficiary trusts, meaning that all the money should go to Farrah Soudani. The other family members are reviewing the documents.
LINK: GoFundMe.com | FarrahSoundani.com
