See? Twitter can be used for good
Jan 18, 2018, 11:12 AM
(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
I have a story that can prove Twitter can be used for good, even by those who regularly use it to argue.
It began with a tweet from user @AtticusGF and continues as a thread as he discovers the kindness of strangers.
The tweet thread includes pictures of his weeks-old daughter, who was diagnosed with a congenital deformity in her throat.
“I want to talk about the kindness of Twitter, and how this week I’ve learned that there is plenty of humanity still left here.”
His daughter would need surgery.
“It’s going to be a long road. I had no idea how we were going to survive – we’re going to have to pay our entire deductible, and then my wife is missing work because of the recovery. We didn’t have a lot of wiggle room to begin with. Then Twitter stepped in.
People all over — some that I talk to every day, and some that I’ve never met — have helped us out. First, through MealTrain, and now through GoFundMe.
I’ve been anonymous since I joined Twitter – and for good reason. But that doesn’t matter much anymore to me. What matters now is that my daughter and family gets through this.”
He starts sharing screenshots of the encouraging messages people are sending him. Quick messages of support to stories of their own scary moments with their children.
I’m also doing this because of how overwhelmed I’ve been by the kindness of others on here.
Some of these people are those who I frequently butt heads with on Twitter. It doesn’t matter. They wanted to help.
I have been devastated emotionally all week, yet every single time I refresh Twitter, it seems like someone has been there to help pick me up again.
I want to frame all of these. I want my daughter to know someday that when she needed help, people everywhere stopped and helped her. They thought of her and prayed for her.
I just didn’t realize people were this kind.
If you’re reading this and see your message – thank you. My daughter will read your words someday.
In the end, he says they plan to make a scrapbook of the tweets. His wife told their little girl, “You’re going to hear about this when you’re older. This is what I’m going to use to teach you kindness.”
If you have a Daily Dose of Kindness to share with Colleen, email her at cobrien@kiroradio.com.
You can hear Colleen O’Brien’s “Daily Dose of Kindness” segment every morning at 7:30 a.m. on KIRO Radio 97.3 FM.
