+
upworthy
Well Being

A man named Edmund simply tweeted 'I am not OK' and received a worldwide tsunami of support

A man named Edmund simply tweeted 'I am not OK' and received a worldwide tsunami of support

Eight months into the coronavirus pandemic, many of us are feeling the weight of it growing heavier and heavier. We miss normal life. We miss our friends. We miss travel. We miss not having to mentally measure six feet everywhere we go.

Maybe that's what was on Edmund O'Leary's mind when he tweeted on Friday. Or maybe he had some personal issues or challenges he was dealing with. After all, it's not like people didn't struggle pre-COVID. Now, we just have the added stress of a pandemic on top of our normal mental and emotional upheavals.

Whatever it was, Edmund decided to reach out to Twitter and share what he was feeling.

"I am not ok," he wrote. "Feeling rock bottom. Please take a few seconds to say hello if you see this tweet. Thank you."

O'Leary didn't have a huge Twitter following, but somehow his tweet started getting around quickly. Response after response started flowing in from all over the world, even from some famous folks. Thousands of people seemed to resonate with Edmund's sweet and honest call for help and rallied to send him support and good cheer.


Some people sent pet photos and videos, because what's a quicker cheerer-upper than an adorable companion?

Some also sent photos and videos of animals out in nature to remind Edmund of the beauty and wonder of the wild.

Some offered the gift of music.

Others shared poetry, either written...

Twittertwitter.com


...or spoken.

Some people offered motivational videos they keep on hand for when they need a lift of their own.

And others shared silly humor to make Edmund laugh.

Some, upon seeing in his Twitter bio that Edmund was interested in aviation, shared images and videos of airplanes or from airplanes. Dublin Airport even sent him "hugs from back home," since Edmund is originally from Ireland.

From artwork to photos of babies and rainbows to words of solidarity and understanding, the responses to Edmund's tweet were diversely and profoundly uplifting.

Edmund responded to some, but there was no way for him to thank everyone who sent him good wishes. It was so moving to see the flood of support for this random man who put his need for connection out there on social media, with no idea it would result in such a tsunami of love.

And while it was so lovely to see people show up for Edmund in such a big way, the impact spread far beyond just him. Other people who have been struggling shared that people's reactions to Edmund helped them as well.

It was like a huge humanity fest, with words of encouragement and inspiration flowing out in all directions to everyone who caught part of the thread.

Though we can't fully connect with people in the ways we're used to during the pandemic, people are finding ways to reach out and be there for one another—even perfect strangers who live across continents and oceans from one another.

BBC Breakfast talked with Edmund about his viral tweet and the overwhelming response.

"The whole experience has been absolutely surreal and provides me with a lot of hope," he said. "I've gone from feeling like a nobody to feeling like a somebody. To have that happen overnight is just surreal, something that most ordinary people have never experienced or will never experience."

He added: "Eighteen and a half million people and counting have seen my tweet. Nothing can prepare you for that!"


Just by being vulnerable and putting his feelings out there, Edmund created a beautiful wave of support for himself and others. This collective, global act of pure human kindness is exactly the antidote we need to this crappy dumpster fire of a year. Thank you, Edmund for making it happen.


A pitbull stares at the window, looking for the mailman.


Dogs are naturally driven by a sense of purpose and a need for belonging, which are all part of their instinctual pack behavior. When a dog has a job to do, it taps into its needs for structure, purpose, and the feeling of contributing to its pack, which in a domestic setting translates to its human family.

But let’s be honest: In a traditional domestic setting, dogs have fewer chores they can do as they would on a farm or as part of a rescue unit. A doggy mom in Vancouver Island, Canada had fun with her dog’s purposeful uselessness by sharing the 5 “chores” her pitbull-Lab mix does around the house.

Keep ReadingShow less

An English doctor named Edward Jenner took incredible risks to try to rid his world of smallpox. Because of his efforts and the efforts of scientists like him, the only thing between deadly diseases like the ones below and extinction are people who refuse to vaccinate their kids. Don't be that parent.

Unfortunately, because of the misinformation from the anti-vaccination movement, some of these diseases have trended up in a really bad way over the past several years.

Keep ReadingShow less

A woman looking at her phone while sitting on the toilet.


One of the most popular health trends over the last few years has been staying as hydrated as possible, evidenced by the massive popularity of 40-oz Stanely Quencher cups. The theory among those who obsess over hydration is that, when you pee clear, you’ve removed all the waste in your body and are enjoying the incredible benefits of being 100% hydrated. Congratulations.

However, according to Dr. Sermed Mezher, an NHS doctor in the UK, peeing clear isn’t always a sign of being healthy.

Keep ReadingShow less
Innovation

A student accidentally created a rechargeable battery that could last 400 years

"This thing has been cycling 10,000 cycles and it’s still going." ⚡️⚡️

There's an old saying that luck happens when preparation meets opportunity.

There's no better example of that than a 2016 discovery at the University of California, Irvine, by doctoral student Mya Le Thai. After playing around in the lab, she made a discovery that could lead to a rechargeable battery that could last up to 400 years. That means longer-lasting laptops and smartphones and fewer lithium ion batteries piling up in landfills.

Keep ReadingShow less
via PamTina_/Twitter

Pam's little brother is so sweet.

Pam has a little brother, who recently learned that he is actually her half-brother.

Of course, half-siblings are still very much siblings, but Pam's brother doesn't quite grasp the concept yet and seems upset about having to part with 50% of his sister.

Keep ReadingShow less

Jennifer Garner's Ziploc care package.

Homelessness has been on the increase in America since 2016 and the numbers exploded in 2020. On a single night in January 2020, there were more than 580,000 individuals who were without a home.

There are many reasons for the increase in homelessness and one of the leading causes is a lack of affordable housing across the country. Housing prices have been on a steady increase and, according to PBS, we are about 7 million units short of affordable housing in the country.

So what can the average person do about this human tragedy taking place in America’s streets? Some people who would like to help don’t feel comfortable giving money to homeless people, although experts in the field say that most of the time it is OK.

Keep ReadingShow less