People online have come together to support a London shop owner through a GoFundMe campaign. The shop has been closed for nearly a year while the owner receives medical treatment.
On March 15th, a user named Rhys Thompson reported that a small hardware store located inside the Vauxhall tube station in London had temporarily closed because the owner was receiving treatment for leukemia.
A sign outside M. Allen Watch Repairs and Key Cutting explains that the owner has leukemia and is currently hospitalized. They will need to isolate for six months, meaning the shop will be closed for around nine months, with plans to reopen in November.
Michael Allen, the owner, shared a link to a GoFundMe page to help his family with their financial difficulties.
The small hardware store inside Vauxhall station is temporarily closed because the owner is undergoing treatment for leukemia. The handwritten sign explaining the closure is heartbreaking.
— Rhys Thompson (@comporhys) March 15, 2026
£12k raised on GoFundMe
Allen’s GoFundMe started with a goal of just under £1000, but donations increased dramatically after Thompson shared it online.
As of March 16th, the GoFundMe campaign has collected over £12,000 to support Allen and his family. The donations even include contributions from people outside the UK who hope to visit him when he recovers.
I was supposed to get a call today about being admitted to the hospital, but it never came. I went to bed with really bad stomach pain and woke up to find that my GoFundMe page had reached £6000. I’m incredibly touched by the kindness of strangers, the owner shared in a post thanking everyone for their donations.
Thompson mentioned the store owner has been keeping customers informed for several months, even updating his sign as early as January to let them know when he would be at doctor’s appointments.
He’s been sharing updates with his customers about his chemotherapy treatment and how it impacts his shop’s hours. This photo is from January. He’s a caring person who genuinely looks after those he serves, and his shop is located between platforms 6 and 7 at Vauxhall station.
— Rhys Thompson (@comporhys) March 15, 2026
People online are also supporting a GoFundMe campaign aiming to help an elderly couple, the Pulleys, retire comfortably.
Richard Pulley, 78, returned to work as a DoorDash driver with his wife, Brenda, to help cover increasing medical expenses.
A video showing the Pulleys delivering food became incredibly popular online, resulting in nearly $1 million in donations.
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2026-03-16 15:20