Social media can be the absolute dregs of society. A place where people hide behind keyboards to be the worst of the worst. But every so often, someone finds a way to use the platform for something good and positive. And that’s exactly what one Tennessee fan and X (formerly Twitter) user chose to do.
In the world of college football and the mostly unregulated world of social media, it doesn’t take long for the insults to start flying, especially when two passionate fanbases come together. When the stakes are high, the jabs come even harder. Do a quick social media search with the hashtags #GoBucks and #GBO to see what I mean.
But one man has put all that aside for the moment to do something that goes beyond the field of play and banter of fans. A self-proclaimed “Vol Football fanatic” caught wind of a young Buckeye fan’s illness and has decided to do something about it.
My wife and I just received the worst news a parent can hear. My beautiful son has officially been diagnosed with MPS III, also known as Sanfilippo syndrome.
The disease is degenerative and causes symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s but in children. At this time he is completely… pic.twitter.com/zQSFu90Pge
— Brutus Stark (@iron_brutus) December 10, 2024
After reading on X from user Brutus Stark about his son’s recent diagnosis of MPS III, which is a degenerative disease that causes Alzheimer-like symptoms in children, X user Bo Camaro jumped to action. He immediately elicited the help of Beyond the Snap, an organization created for moments just like these. The group jumped at the chance to help a kid and his family, putting football aside despite each team’s championship aspirations.
🍊🍊 BIG NEWS🍊🍊
2 big things happening right now. First, we found a young man who is a buckeye fan that we are hoping to make a few memories for. Not sure if he can make the game because of the weather, BUT we will make a heck of a Christmas for him regardless!
Second,… pic.twitter.com/Nd1fjAoxxz
— 🍊🍊Capt’n Cornjuice🥃🥃 (@BoCamaro) December 10, 2024
While it looks like there is no FDA-approved treatment for MPS III, the family is committed to doing whatever it can to help their child, as any parent would. And Bo Camaro is using the power of social media to lend a hand. To date, $7,300 has been raised for the family to use as they see fit and even possibly take their child to see the Ohio State Tennessee playoff game in person.
Too many times, social media is a depressing place to spend much time. The constant negativity can be overwhelming. But in this instance, someone has found a way to use the platform to make a positive impact and restore faith in humanity.
Well done Bo Camaro, on seeing a bigger picture, putting football fandom aside, and using your influence to make a difference in the world,
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