Emilia Clarke's devoted fans aren't ready to give up their fight in getting justice for their Khaleesi. But instead of signing a petition to rewrite Game of Thrones season 8, these fans are doing something much more meaningful by fundraising to support Clarke's charity, SameYou, which supports people who have endured brain injury and stroke. The organization funds clinical research, training programs for hospital personnel, advocates for policy changes, backs research, and helps provide rehabilitation opportunities for survivors.
Reddit user ella_ellaria began the fundraising petition under the subreddit r/freefolk and has since helped raise more than $40,000. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, ella_ellaria, who identified herself as Sarah, said she and other fans felt compelled to show Clarke that they support her and appreciate all that she's done for them.
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"I have a great deal of love and respect for Emilia Clarke, especially since opening up about her health struggles," she told EW. "In interviews after the finale she spoke about how much of herself she put into her character and how upset she was at the prospect of people hating Daenerys... She wasn't informed about Dany's evil turn until shortly before filming season 8, and it seemed like she really struggled to come to terms with it."
She added, "So the fundraiser [was] kind of to let her know, hey, don't worry. We stand by Daenerys, too."
Clarke previously disclosed that she had two life-threatening brain aneurysms while filming the first two seasons of Game of Thrones in an emotional essay for The New Yorker. The actress said that, at times, she "wanted to pull the plug."
"I felt like a shell of myself," Clarke wrote. "So much so that I now have a hard time remembering those dark days in much detail. My mind has blocked them out. But I do remember being convinced that I wasn’t going to live."
The fundraiser's description also called out the original petition, saying "the tongue-in-cheek nature... has flown over peoples' heads."
"We wanted to show that Game of Thrones fans appreciate the hard work of the incredible cast & crew despite their constraints," the fundraiser description reads. "Any disappointment we felt with the conclusion of the series was not in them, but rather in the potential that was lost due to the rushed pace of storytelling."
The description also thanks many of the cast members by name for their devotion to the series over the past decade. If nothing else, this petition serves as a reminder that even controversial endings can spark change-making beginnings.