For Susan Baker, departmental assistant for music and theater, Facebook<a href="http://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a> isn't just a socializing tool. Rather than checking the site to stay up-to-date with friends, colleagues and family members, she uses it to communicate with a large group of people all dealing with a medical illness that affected her life. isn't just a socializing tool. Rather than checking the site to stay up-to-date with friends, colleagues and family members, she uses it to communicate with a large group of people all dealing with a medical illness that affected her life. Facebook isn’t just a socializing tool. Rather than checking the site to stay up-to-date with friends, colleagues and family members, she uses it to communicate with a large group of people all dealing with a medical illness that affected her life.
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Baker joined Facebook in 2008. That same year in December, her mother died of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS, and she found a network of people online who she could connect with.
After her mother’s death, Baker found that talking to others on Facebook through a closed group, where people could vent their thoughts, feelings and ideas, was much more helpful than a doctor could be.
“It (Facebook) was such a wonderful resource and I knew I wasn’t alone, and that we could help each other,” Baker said. “The ALS family helps them get connected. They need to know they’re not the only ones dealing with it.”
In 2010, Facebook administrators asked members how they were using the site to connect with others. Baker immediately responded, explaining how it helped her keep in touch with her “ALS family.” As a result, she was contacted several times and was invited to Facebook headquarters in 2011. That same year, MTV taped a segment on Baker’s friend Tom Ohlson, who suffers from ALS.
“I think many are using social media, and it’s one of the best ways to reach out to people,” Baker said.
If Facebook had not been around when her mother died, Baker said, “I’d be more discouraged. I’m more aware with social media and what other people with ALS are accomplishing. Knowing what other people are doing helps me.”
