Disclaimer: This post is not written in my usual jovial and sarcastic tone. I just heard about the following story on the power of a new medium and thought it might be of interest to the WVU blogosphere. Next week, I’ll be back to my normal style, which may make you happy or violently angry depending on what you think about my previous three posts. We now return to our regularly scheduled programming…

Blogging Moms

I was chatting with two of my co-workers the other day about the blogging phenomenon. Both of them happen to be moms, and during our conversation, they brought to my attention a few of their favorite weblogs written by other moms. Detailing everything from the mundane to the absurd, these blogger moms offer some perspective on the day to day duties involved in raising our nation’s youth. My colleagues, as well as thousands of other parents, enjoyed reading about activities they could relate to, especially if the description was presented in a witty or sarcastic style.

Why do I mention this in the IMC Student blog? Well, some of you reading this may already be a parent; others may be one in the near future. As a dad I I find it interesting how many of my peers, including my wife, search for assurance, support and advice via social networks like CafeMom (started by one of the guys on Melrose Place) and blogs. It’s hard to imagine my grandmother doing something like that, but then again everyone knew their neighbors back then. In today’s rapidly changing economy, we’ve had three neighbors move in and out of the same place in just over three years. I don’t think we are alone in witnessing a much more transitional neighborhood than the ones in which we grew up. Maybe blogs and social networks are a way to replace what used to be found down the street.

The NieNie Dialogues

Anyway, I ran into one of the aforementioned coworkers again this morning. She brought to my attention a story she saw on the Today Show about another mom blogger that touched the lives of many of her readers, especially other moms that knew of what she wrote. Her name is Stephanie Nielson, a 27 year old mother of four, who began her NieNie Dialogues blog to keep her family that lived outside of Utah appraised of how the kids were doing.

What started as a small side project spread via word-of-mouth from mom to mom, ultimately averaging over 1,000 visits a day as of a few weeks ago. Stephanie’s focus on the joys of motherhood became a refreshing reminder to others of how a positive attitude can make the rearing of children a better experience for all. Recent posts featured photos of a family trip to a baseball game, the discovery of chalk artwork on their sidewalks, and redecorating her kid’s room with old road maps. Nothing out of the ordinary, just subjects that most parents can relate to.

A Turn For the Worse

Unfortunately, Stephanie and her husband Christian were involved in a serious plane crash on August 16. The pilot, Doug Kinneard, did not survive. Christian suffered burns on 35% of his body and is expected to make it. The new is also bad for Stephanie, who received burns on over 85% of her body and is currently in a medically induced coma, given about a 65% chance of living.

The Nielson’s family decided to continue updating the NieNie Dialogues to keep family and friends informed of Stephanie and Christian’s health. What was not expected was how this news would affect the blog’s readership. Traffic to the site jumped up to 20,000 visits per day. One reader even organized a fundraiser to help the family cover the million plus dollars the family will have to pay out of pocket for their treatment. As of Tuesday, over $100,000 has been donated to the fund. After two years of emotional support from Stephanie to her loyal readers, the favor is now being returned in the form of financial assistance, notes of appreciation, and prayers.

Take Aways

As I attempt to maintain two blogs this semester, the story of Stephanie Nielson and her work provide inspiration and an example for how to keep my content true to life. While I harbor no aspirations of ever making even a hundredth an impact that she did with the NieNie Dialogues, I at least hope to let a few other people know about the power of the emerging blog medium and how much it can affect others in our increasingly online world.

I hope you’ll join me in sending your thoughts and prayers to the Nielson family. And if you can spare it, a small donation to their recovery efforts.

Sincerely,
Matt