Arkansas
Community rallies behind Arkansas mother, GoFundMe more than doubles in less than 24 hours
LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — An Arkansas mother fighting for her life is now facing her transplant journey with renewed hope after an overwhelming surge of community support.
Just one day after sharing her story, 31-year-old Brittany Slater’s GoFundMe has skyrocketed from $4,300 to over $22,000; more than doubling her original $10,000 goal in less than 24 hours.
Slater, a mother of two, is battling both advanced kidney disease and heart failure.
She has been approved for a rare dual kidney and heart transplant, but needed financial help to cover expenses during a required 12-week recovery period away from home.
Since the story aired Tuesday afternoon, donations have poured in from 249 contributors. Among them, one person gave $2,000, three donated $1,000 each, and several others contributed hundreds more, reflecting what Slater calls an outpouring of love from both her local community and strangers.
“I was actually at the grocery store when it happened,” Slater said. “My mom called and told me to check it, and I just sat in the parking lot for about an hour crying. I was just full of joy. It was wonderful.”
The financial milestone is doing more than easing immediate concerns; it’s shifting Slater’s mindset as she prepares for the fight ahead.
“It’s making me want to push even harder, to keep fighting even harder,” she said. “If you’re going through something like this, don’t give up. Just keep going and have faith.”
The funds will help cover temporary housing near the transplant center, caregiving needs, childcare for her children, and basic living expenses like food and gas during recovery.
While insurance, including Medicare, is expected to cover much of the transplant itself, the additional costs tied to recovery created a significant burden for the family.
Slater’s mother, Carmenlita Bryant, who is also undergoing chemotherapy, started the fundraiser and said the response has brought both relief and reassurance during an already difficult time.
“It brings a lot of relief,” Bryant said. “Just knowing she’ll be away for three months and we have to figure out care for her children, this takes a huge burden off of us.”
Bryant said she never expected the level of support her daughter received, calling the response overwhelming.
“It just showed me that humanity still exists,” she said. “People who don’t even know us read her story and gave. We’re just so grateful.”
For Slater, the support goes beyond financial help; it’s a message she plans to carry with her into surgery and recovery.
“I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart,” she said. “Every donation, every prayer, it all means so much to me and my family.”
If you would like to support Brittany, you can access her GoFundMe here.
It’s been a bone-dry year in Arkansas. It’s now the 7th driest year on record in Little Rock since record-keeping began in 1875, as of April 20.
24 days so far this year in Little Rock have received measurable rainfall. 12 days received a trace amount of rain, meaning there were no rainfall measurements to report (it was too little to record), as it was just a sprinkle or a few spits.
Only 4 days have received an inch or more of rain so far this year. Those occurred on April 4, March 7, February 14, and January 24. January’s “rain” was really winter precipitation.
April is usually the rainiest month of the year in Arkansas. In Little Rock, April on average receives 5.59 inches of rainfall. So far this April, as of April 20, Little Rock has only recorded 1.17″ of rain for the month.
The rainfall deficit over the last 6 months is well over a foot for much of Arkansas, including Little Rock, North Little Rock, Pine Bluff, and Harrison.
Spring is the rainy season, and summer is the dry season. If rain isn’t recorded soon, the drought will persist into the summer. In fact, the latest seasonal drought outlook shows that while some areas of Arkansas could see improvements, the drought continues into July.
To fully end the drought, parts of central and northeast Arkansas need more than 25 inches of rain over the next 3 months. Parts of northwest Arkansas need between 15 and 20 inches of rain over the next 3 months. The rest of the state needs between 20 and 25 inches of rain over the next 3 months. All of this rain would need to be received slowly, not all at one time.
The odds of receiving this much rain slowly over the next 3 months are very low.
The Arkansas Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Sunday, April 19, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Cash 3 numbers from April 19 drawing
Evening: 5-3-2
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from April 19 drawing
Evening: 7-5-4-8
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Natural State Jackpot numbers from April 19 drawing
02-07-17-20-23
Check Natural State Jackpot payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 19 drawing
32-42-52-53-55, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Arkansas Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Cash 3 Midday: 12:59 p.m. CT daily except Sunday.
- Cash 3 Evening: 6:59 p.m. CT daily.
- Cash 4 Midday: 12:59 p.m. CT daily except Sunday.
- Cash 4 Evening: 6:59 p.m. CT daily.
- Lucky For Life: 9:30 p.m. CT daily.
- Natural State Jackpot: 8 p.m. CT daily except Sunday.
- LOTTO: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Arkansas editor. You can send feedback using this form.
BENTON, Ark. (KATV) — Saline County residents got a fresh boost earlier today when the Central Arkansas Development Council hosted its third Fresh Market event in the county, handing out about 300 bags of fresh produce free of charge.
The council, described as the largest community action agency in Arkansas, said the event is part of its ongoing effort to address food insecurity in the state and expand access to healthy food options.
“What we’re here to do is we’re here to be what our community needs us to be,” Randy Morris, CEO of Central Arkansas Development Council, said. “We are here to serve our mission, which is to alleviate the causes and conditions of poverty, to help vulnerable populations achieve their potential and to build strong communities in Arkansas through community action.”
The council also said it was rewarded funds by the government to host an emergency food drive that will happen soon.
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