Social Media Smack Talk

The Facebook Support Network

The following is part of our series on different ways Facebook is used across the world. If you have a story you’d like to share with us, please submit it here.

Earlier this fall, Drew and Sierra of Washington state suffered every parent’s worst nightmare when they learned that their 13-year-old son, Levi, had collapsed and gone into cardiac arrest during his gym class. Fortunately, Levi’s school had a defibrillator (AED) that teachers used to keep him alive until he could be airlifted to the hospital. Still, his chances of survival were slim as his heart had stopped for 30 minutes.

With their son in critical condition, Drew and Sierra reached out to their friends and relatives for support. From the hospital, Drew updated his Facebook status with news of the incident and Levi’s progress. “Within moments, I had people responding,” he told us, “Not just locally, but even friends in Germany and as far as Australia!” Over the next two weeks, as Levi’s condition improved, Drew continued using his status to broadcast the latest news from doctors to friends and relatives on Facebook.

Friends and family continued to reach out to ask about Levi and offer any help they could. Drew created a Facebook group for Levi, which more than a hundred of his friends, family and classmates joined to stay updated on his situation. As with any Wall on Facebook, people started posting their thoughts, which Drew compared to a “prayer chain.” Drew added photos of Levi and recent news articles telling the story of his son’s incredible rescue and recovery.