Fact Check: Did Lindsay Clancy raise over $1M donation while Emma Schols received only $42K?

WASHINGTON, DC: A viral meme compares the fundraising efforts surrounding two very different stories of mothers

It claims Lindsay Clancy, who prosecutors accused of killing her three children, received more than $1 million in donations, while Emma Schols, who suffered severe burns while rescuing her six children from a house fire, received only about $42,000.

But do the figures and claims in the meme accurately reflect what happened? Let’s fact-check them.

Claim: Meme showed that Lindsay Clancy received more donations than Emma Schols

In late August and early September 2026, a meme highlighted Emma Schols, saying she saved her six children from a house fire despite suffering severe burns.

It claims she received $42,000 in donations. On the right, it features Lindsay Clancy, who is at the center of a high-profile Massachusetts murder trial that ended in a mistrial on September 4.

Prosecutors accused Clancy of killing her three young children. The meme claims a GoFundMe linked to her raised more than $1 million.

X user @CodyManners2 shared an archived version of the meme. Under photos of Schols, the meme says she pulled all six children from a raging house fire, returned inside three times despite burns covering 93% of her body, and raised $42,000.

The section about Clancy claims she strangled all three children with exercise bands and raised more than $1.04 million through GoFundMe. Other users also widely shared the meme on Facebook, Reddit, TikTok, and X.

Fact Check: The claim is a mix of true and false information 

The claim is a mix of true and false information. Emma Schols’ book and news reports confirm several details in the meme but also show that it leaves out important context.

Schols, who lives in Sweden, saved all six of her children from a house fire on September 3, 2019. She made three trips into the burning house to bring them to safety.

Her 2022 book, “Ärren bär jag med stolthet: branden i Edsbyn och livet efteråt,” which translates to “I Carry the Scars with Pride: The Fire in Edsbyn and Life Afterwards,” describes the incident and confirms that burns covered 93% of her body, as the meme claims.

In September 2019, Swedish broadcaster SVT reported that a fundraiser organized by church deacon Christer Schwartz had collected 400,000 Swedish krona, which equals about $42,000 at current exchange rates. Schwartz’s fundraiser was one of several campaigns created for Schols, but the report did not provide figures for the others.

A charity hockey game held in February 2020 also raised 200,000 Swedish krona, or about $21,000, for Schols. In her book, Schols said individuals and companies initially promised to help fund the rebuilding of her home. However, she said some sponsors withdrew their support after she separated from her partner.

What did the reports claim about Lindsay Clancy's fundraising?

Clancy’s case has a different fundraising story. Several news outlets reported that Clancy admitted on January 24, 2023, to strangling her children with exercise bands. She pleaded not guilty to the charges, which initially included three counts each of first-degree murder, strangulation, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Prosecutors later dropped the strangulation charges, saying they were redundant to the murder charges.

The GoFundMe campaign connected to Clancy’s case, titled “The Musgrove Family Fund,” identifies her parents, Mike and Paula Musgrove, as the recipients. The fundraiser says the money helps cover their hotel, travel, and relocation costs so they can stay close to their daughter during the case. 

The meme does not mention Clancy’s parents and instead suggests that Clancy herself will receive the money.

At last check, the fundraiser had raised more than $1.1 million toward its $2 million goal from more than 33,500 donations.

The meme also claims that Clancy has said she is the victim. During her 2026 criminal trial, her attorney, Reddington, argued that evidence showed she lacked criminal responsibility and said the court should find her not guilty.

He repeatedly argued that Clancy suffered from postpartum psychosis, a condition that can cause delusions, depression, hallucinations, insomnia, paranoia, and other behavioral changes. Prosecutors disputed that argument and maintained that Clancy knew what she was doing.