The mother of Tiffany VanAlstyne, who was convicted of killing her 5-year-old cousin Kenneth White, started a controversy over social media after she appeared to create a GoFundMe account to raise $20,000 for herself.

Brenda VanAlstyne appeared to created the post on the fundraising website Sunday that asks for donations to assist her family, noting the pain that her daughter's mental illness has caused.

Tiffany VanAlstyne was sentenced to 18 years to life in January for Kenneth's death in December 2014.

Tiffany VanAlstyne, who was 19 at the time, told police investigators she choked Kenneth in the family's Knox home and then threw his body in a snowbank — then concocted a story about the kindergartner being kidnapped.

In a 2015 interview with the Times Union, Brenda VanAlstyne said her daughter suffered from bipolar disorder, had issues with anger and had not been taking her medication.

Brenda VanAlstyne had been taking care of Kenneth and two of her sister's other children at the time because she said they were living in deplorable conditions at a home in Montgomery County.

The GoFundMe post was written by someone named "Brenda" and posted a picture of Brenda and Tiffany VanAlstyne. It said in part, "Mental illness affected my family tragically. Most people don't take mental illness seriously. well i'm living proff (sic) that mental illness is real and it's serious and is why i'm trying to raise money. The money will be used to help us get our life back some what from this tragedy but helping with home repairs and bills."

But the page, shared thousands of times over Facebook, spurned anger from many in light of the fact that Brenda VanAlstyne was ruled negligent in a separate Albany County Family Court proceeding after testimony showed one of Kenneth's siblings had bruises all over her body and that the remaining two children talked about how their cousin Tiffany would beat them.

Family Court also took Brenda VanAlstyne's rights away to see the two remaining children, who were ages 4 and 5 at the time of Kenneth's death. The girls have been in foster care since his death.

As of Tuesday afternoon the account had $5 in it.

Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple posted his own response Tuesday on Facebook, without naming the VanAlstynes.

"I urge everyone no matter what the page says, if they are asking for money to please investigate it and when in doubt stay away," Apple wrote. "Unfortunately there are too many scams out there looking to take advantage of the kindness and love our community offers."

Brenda VanAlstyne could not be reached for comment.

But follow-up statements were posted on the GoFundMe account, including a picture of Tiffany VanAlstyne with Kenneth and his siblings that said, "My daughter loves these babies and always will and so does all of the family."

"Well I feel bad for all the haters out there," another post read. "Why don't you all pour yourselves a tall glass of hater-aide. Until you walk in my shoes you don't know (expletive) about me or my life. #realist."

lstanforth@timesunion.com • 518-454-5697