You know things are bad when someone opens a crowdfund account and asks for contributions.
So when former XOMG Pop! star Leigha Sanderson’s mother, Anjie Sanderson had a GoFundMe account opened for her, people noticed.
Leigha, you may remember, is the talented singer/dancer teen recently dropped from XOMG Pop!, the girl group founded by JoJo Siwa and her mother Jessalynn.
The family announced that Anjie has been diagnosed with a brain tumor in the frontal lobe lining of her brain, and the family needs outside funds to help pay medical expenses.
To date, Anjie’s GoFundMe account has raised $4815 of her $10,000 goal. Insurance wasn’t enough to pay all the bills, leading to the family to ask for help. This is becoming an increasingly common trend across the United States for many people.
That’s when they turned to GoFundMe. Fortunately, fans of XOMG Pop! (and of Leigha) have been stepping up to the plate and helping out.
Angie is fortunate that Leigha has such a generous fan base. Hopefully she’ll use this experience to find herself better insurance coverage, as well. We all know how expensive insurance coverage is, especially for the self-employed.
As a member of XOMG Pop!, Leigha originally made the team due to her vocal skills, stage presence and dance moves. Unfortunately, due to a chronic spina bifida condition, she found herself struggling to keep up with the group’s intense practice workouts and high energy routines.
The effort and sacrifice she put into her burgeoning pop career is admirable. She certainly did not lack courage, but in spite of her best efforts, she was eventually let go from the group.
Since then, Leigh’s mom has busied herself in her position as “momager” (mom/manager) of Leigha’s burgeoning career as a singer/dancer. She made some headway it seems, but this setback is unfortunate for all involved.
Without being able to rely on a steady income stream from performing, this is now affecting their finances. And with the several surgeries Leigha has needed over the years, it has been a struggle for the family.
Her physical problems may prevent her ability to perform in the future. But as the bills mount up, crowdfunding may be the best stopgap strategy available. And the family are relying on fans to support in them in their greatest time of need.
Anjie’s trajectory to her current situation is not unheard of in a country that promises hopes and dreams from a pop star career. Anjie closed down her former business, a daycare in Texas, to devote full time to Leigha’s career. But as everyone knows, a career in entertainment takes time and money doesn’t just show up overnight.
Jobs for singers and dancers are highly competitive, with many candidates competing for the same position. That’s why most have side jobs like waitressing, bartending, driving cabs, etc. Rare is the performer who breaks into a full-time position with a living wage.
Anjie herself turned to doing various cleaning jobs for the Siwa’s during those early months. She says she earned extra money scrubbing toilets and mopping floors when the income from Leigha’s contract just didn’t pay the bills.
Of course, it doesn’t help that the country was suffering from financial problems after the Covid epidemic. Job scarcity today extends across all industries, not just entertainment. According to the U.S. Labor Department, more than 8 million Americans work a second job to help meet their monthly expenses.
No wonder losing that coveted spot on XOMG Pop! was so hard for the Sandersons. Anjie’s brain tumor only makes it a that much harder. There are many families across the U.S. who today have been turning to crowdfunding as a means to pay medical bills and afford lifesaving healthcare. It shouldn’t be this way. But until this changes, many people are forced to seek alternative means like crowdfunding platforms to ensure they have the finances to meet their needs.
We encourage all of Leigha’s many fans to check out Anjie’s GoFundMe account and help where they can.
