Telling a young patient’s story through the power of social media

Julian Bond is the social media and marketing manager for the Detroit Medical Center.

People are discovering the true reach of Twitter and blogging and are using them in inspiring ways. One way: Giving a voice to those patients who may not be able to speak on their own.

One of these sites is the page "Tweet4Cams", which follows the journey of a 12-year-old boy named Cameron who has been diagnosed with Infantile Neuroaxonal Systrophy (also known as INAD). The condition affects Cameron's ability to walk and also talk, so his sister Jennifer wanted to start a Twitter page (and then a blog site) to tell Cameron's story and educate people about his rare condition.

The blog posts include inspiring stories such as Cameron's participation on the "Miracle League of Michigan" baseball team, his visits from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and his trips to the DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan in Detroit, Michigan.

Another similar blog called "Colin Loves Tractors" is a page which was created by the family of a child named Colin and his progress through the treatment for a brain tumor. The page was started by his family shortly after receiving diagnosis of Colin's condition and follows the journey of his treatment at St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.

Through these pages and many others, the voices of these patients are being shared to the world in a special, heartfelt, and informative way.