In one of the most encouraging displays of human empathy, complete strangers came together through social news site Reddit to make the week of terminally ill Scott Widak. Widak, 47, has been diagnosed with liver disease and has Down syndrome. Sean O’Connor, nephew of Widak, turned to the online community to get some support from the users of Reddit. Citing that opening mail is one of his uncle’s favorite activities, O’Connor gave his address, his uncle’s name and interests, and hoped for some love. What he got was truly unbelievable.
Reddit users surprised terminally ill Widak with a huge outpouring of love and support with hundreds of letters spanning the globe from Australia to the USA and everywhere in between. Along with the encouraging letters, art, DVDs and CDs came in alongside. Sony Music Entertainment, upon hearing of Widak’s love of Johnny Cash, even sent over 15 CDs & DVDs, mainly comprised of Cash’s music.
The amazing display has been a great comfort to Widak’s family, and has given joy from the continuous inflow of inspiring and lovely mail from well wishers. See more photos and the full story on Mashable.com.
What's Driving This Trend
- Crowdfunding Empathy
- The success of the viral altruism campaign on Reddit indicates an opportunity for crowdfunding compassion and goodwill.
- Social Media for Good
- The Reddit Scott Widak Surprise exemplifies the potential of social media to facilitate genuine acts of kindness and create real impact.
- Global Care Networks
- The global response to the Reddit Scott Widak Surprise demonstrates the possibility of creating care networks with a worldwide reach through online communities.
Who This Affects Most
- Non-profit Organizations
- Non-profit organizations can leverage social media platforms to raise awareness and funds for philanthropic causes that promote social impact.
- Crowdfunding Platforms
- Crowdfunding platforms can expand their offering by enabling projects related to social causes such as supporting ill patients who require comfort and satisfaction.
- Social Networking Sites
- Social networking sites that optimize user engagement and create genuine online connections present opportunities for brands to generate positive impact and connect with consumers in meaningful ways that go beyond financial gain.
