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his is a situation when social media really has the power to shine and make a difference in someone’s life. How can you use it as a caring community member?

Love/Care/Share

First, smash that love button! Let the family know they matter to you by showing you care about the extreme pain they are facing. You could also follow it up with a sympathetic comment. I was one of the many fb users who used to share moments of my life throughout every week to the response of 0-10 people out of my hundreds of “friends”. Suddenly, after sharing our horrific, breath stopping news, people were coming out of the woodwork to show they sympathized. It seems so small but that’s why I’m telling you, it really does make a difference. It was like “What? John and Jane Doe really care?? After they ignored all of my birthdays and anniversaries, I thought our connection was over! Now they are praying for me.” Life is made up of little moments too, you know.

Prayer/Thoughts

Speaking of prayer, letting the family know you have them covered can really go straight to the soul if prayer is important to them. You can probably tell if it would be meaningful to them based on what you know of them and even non-religious families often appreciate the sentiment during tough times. For me and many others I know, just knowing that hundreds of people were praying for my child’s health and recovery brought tears of gratitude. Triple folded hands is okay but the short prayer written in the comments went further. My soul was strengthened and I was confident God’s mercy would follow us. If that’s not for you, you could also share that they are in your thoughts or follow up with a direct message letting them know you are there.

Donate Meals or Money

If you do only the things above, thank you! You may never hear it from the receiver when there is a lot on their plate and heart but don’t be discouraged. If it’s on your heart to go further, social media has ways to make caring for physical needs during a childhood cancer journey easier than before. You can share updates, fundraisers, and or meal trains.

I was literally BLOWN away by the generosity of our community. Like I said, I could barely get a dozen likes on my posts, year after year. I was too shy to even dare ask for help. My husband put a fundraiser out there one time and somehow people found it month after month, asked for it, and shared it. We traveled out of state for a top surgeon to remove 75% of our son’s liver and needed to stay there almost two months. Their generosity allowed us to make it there, feed ourselves, and make sure our other kids were cared for. It helped while I couldn’t work to care for our baby. It helped keep our house together when we were stretched thin during our personal nightmare AND a national pandemic at the same time.  I could go on and on. I will always remain extremely grateful for everyone’s generosity and especially the completely unexpected.

Final Takeaways

My perspective comes from a cancer journey that began during a national pandemic (which my husband took seriously), hours away from the nearest relative and in between churches so social media was extra meaningful. I’m not saying don’t have actual drop ins, hugs and meals together. There IS value to social media support, though, for those who may not know it and every little bit helps. My heart is warm just knowing there are people out there who want to know how to help others during their horrible situations. It isn’t everyone but for those who are brave enough, I believe you are showing humanity at it’s finest. You’re appreciated and keep loving!

What are your thoughts about social media during a cancer journey? We welcome you to share them in our community group!