Privacy Concerns
In the early days of social media, many people had an overriding concern about privacy… who would be seeing what you say? Could you endanger yourself by posting the wrong things on Facebook or Twitter? Do people really need to share so much info? Today, those privacy concerns haven’t gone away, but fewer people are greatly concerned about their lack of privacy. Those who have read my blogs in the past know that I like to comment on how social media impacts our lives, but that we need to be judicious in our postings.
Today, I share with you a wonderful story about how sharing something in social media literally saved a life.
Especially when it comes to moms on Facebook, who amongst us hasn’t reported that their kid was sick? (I bet most of you reading this can raise your hand and say “me!”)
“My son isn’t feeling well.”
“Heading to the doctor with my daughter.”
“My son just threw up.”
“My daughter has a fever.”
Those comments usually elicit comments like, “Awwww, so sorry. Hope he feels better.” “Hugs to him… I’m sending over some chicken soup.” Occasionally we’ll see a more serious posting… “Had to take my child to the hospital.” “Daughter is in surgery right now. Say some prayers.”
“My Kid is Sick.”
Deborah Copaven Kogan did just the same thing when her son Leo woke up with a rash on Mother’s Day. Like many of us, Deborah wasn’t all that concerned with a rash. However, a case of strep in her child’s class made her err on the side of caution and take him to the doctor. She posted a picture of her son on Facebook with the note, “Nothing says Happy Mother’s Day quite like a Sunday morning at the pediatrician’s.” Like many of us, she got responses such as, “What’s wrong?”
The strep test came back negative, but Deborah gave her son antibiotics as prescribed by her doctor. When her son didn’t get better and in fact began to get worse, Deborah continued reporting Leo’s situation on Facebook. She posted a photo with the following message: “Baby getting sicker. Eyes swollen shut. Fever rising. Penicillin not working. Might be scarlet fever. Or roseola. Or…???? Sigh.” More responses from friends, as expected.
The next morning, Leo’s face was blown up beyond recognition. She quickly posted more than 10 photos on Facebook and then the responses really started coming in. In fact, 10 minutes later, she received a call from a friend who had seen Leo’s photos on Facebook, encouraging her to get him to the hospital ASAP because he might have Kawasaki’s Disease, a rare auto-immune disorder that can cause death if not caught quickly. She got 36 comments on her photo, including another friend and a cousin (a pediatric cardiologist) who echoed the first friend’s concern.
Facebook Friends Solve the Mystery
To make a long story short, it turns out that indeed, Leo did have Kawasaki’s Disease. Leo’s symptoms hadn’t seemed anything really extraordinary, and had Deborah not followed the advice of her Facebook friends, who knows what would have happened with Leo? Deborah also reports that in addition to saving his life, she was so grateful to Facebook because she didn’t feel so alone. As she describes in this interview on the Today Show, “the children’s ward of a hospital is probably the loneliest place on earth.” But hearing from so many people, including people she didn’t even know, was truly a comfort and a blessing.
You can read Deborah’s interview in Slate magazine right here.
Social media often gets a really bad rap for the damage it can cause, especially in the aftermath of the Anthony Wiener scandal. That’s why this story is so gratifying. I wish all the best to Deborah, Leo and her family.
