A devout Christian couple are attempting to resurrect their dead two-year-old daughter through faith and prayer, but a GoFundMe campaign started on their behalf by church leaders is raising more worldly questions.
Andrew and Kalley Heiligenthal’s two-year-old daughter, Olive Alayne Heiligenthal, died early last Friday morning after she stopped breathing in Redding, California.
The family called 911, and paramedics rushed Olive to a hospital, where she was declared dead. Her body was transferred to the Shasta County Coroner’s Office, a spokesman from the couple’s church told DailyMail.com.
On Sunday, Kalley wrote a heartbreaking post on Instagram, calling for ‘bold, unified prayers from the global church to stand with us in belief that He will raise this little girl back to life.’
Since then, more than 1,000 donations have poured in on the GoFundMe campaign, which the church says will go entirely toward the family’s unexpected expenses.
Kalley’s initial Instagram post quickly found support from the congregants at Bethel megachurch in Redding, where Kalley is heavily involved with the church music group and has produced her own albums of Christian music.
‘Her time here is not done, and it is our time to believe boldly, and with confidence wield what King Jesus paid for. It’s time for her to come to life,’ wrote Kalley, who has more than 240,000 followers on Instagram.
Kalley continued her calls for prayers for resurrection in Instagram posts on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
‘Since that night, and at the continued request of the Heiligenthal family, Bethel Church has hosted prayer and worship gatherings which consist of singing and prayer,’ the church said in a statement.
On Tuesday night, hundreds gathered at Bethel Church for prayer and worship at a ceremony calling for Olive’s resurrection.
A church spokesman said that this was the first-ever public prayer gathering that the church has hosted to pray for a resurrection.
Church officials said that Olive’s body has been at the Shasta County Coroner’s Office since it was transferred there from the hospital on December 14.
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