Local businesses around here often post them for local families with extreme medical bills, funeral expenses, house fires, etc. I don't see why it would be any different just because you were the recipient. They can either scroll by or donate.
I would be prepared for people that can't donate or who are emotionally drained from their own current situation to avoid you for a while. It isn't about a lack of empathy, it is about a lack of emotional energy to take on anything more. A lot of people don't see that until it happens to them.
