The Internet As A Support Group

By Patrick, on January 20th, 2010 at 12:49 PM

I don’t know who Brandy is.

She doesn’t know who I am.

But that’s ok.

She’s a blogger and a teacher up in Canada who recently received some bad news: her boyfriend was diagnosed with an incurable form of cancer. It is the kind of news that breaks your heart, I have had loved ones in my life die from cancer and it is a very tough ordeal to go through.

Some people try and find solace through support groups, lectures, or just living out every day as it’s your last. However Brandy took a somewhat different approach.

She reached out to The Internet.

She e-mailed a dozen of her favorite bloggers with a plea. The plea networked it’s way into my Google Reader, plastered all over the front page. I will admit that it was an odd plea, not for money, not for sympathy, but a plea for support and a prayer. When most people encounter a situation like this they often turn to God or religion, instead this woman turned to the her friends and the group she interacts with the most: the online community.

And the online community answered her call. A fund raiser was started and Queen of the DC blog scene LiLu came up with an idea to show Brandy that her Internet community had her back:

Bloggers from around the country pitched in, and I was more than happy to lend my services for the DC portion. I’m in the crowd in front of the White House at the end of the video.

Last week I wrote a story about strangers coming together to help somebody and when I was asked to help somebody I don’t know and may never know I didn’t hesitate to act.

Because somebody out there needed help, needed support- and that was reason enough for me.

Update (1/21/10): Click the logo above to make a donation to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation in Brandy’s name, bloggers around The Internet have already raised over $2,100. Another fine example of the other across great distances coming together in one united effort.