The Viral Post – In the End, Good Always Wins

  • Post category:In The News
  • Reading time:10 mins read

What a rollercoaster ride this viral Facebook post has been. When Stacy posted this picture on James’ Facebook page on September 6th, she had no idea that it would take off like it did.

 

James sits in a wheelchair outdoors on a grassy area, wearing a red‑and‑black plaid shirt and looking upward. Green grass and softly blurred trees fill the background. Text over the image reads: “Instead of ‘don’t stare’," “Let’s start teaching,” “‘SAY HELLO’,” and “www.facebook.com/fansofjames.”
Instead of “don’t stare”, lets start teaching “Say Hello”

 

Watching this simple picture get shared, liked, and commented on has been nothing short of amazing. It’s been three months since she posted it, and it has reached almost 17 million people and counting. In the beginning the comments and reactions were positive and supportive, but then the trolls moved in and tried to ruffle some feathers with their mean, hurtful, derogatory, and sometimes vulgar comments.

Then something awesome happened. We witnessed some of James’ fans go on the defensive and stand up to these bullies for him…and for us. And believe it or not, we received a couple of apologies after these super fans confronted them. As you’ll see later in this post, I am not sure if I can accept their apologies, though.

I had been going back and forth whether I wanted to share these negative comments or not. Part of me just wanted to ignore it and shrug it off. After all, giving these trolls attention is exactly what they want. They post crap about something or someone just to get a rise out of people. Somehow it makes them feel better about themselves. How pathetic is that? I mean, how sad is your life that you need to mock and make fun of someone else to make yourself feel better?

Then there was the other part of me that wanted to go after them for attacking my kid. That’s what parents are supposed to do, right? I’m sure that some of those comments were made through fake accounts that they use just for trolling people. If they get too much blowback, they’ll just delete the account, create a new one, and either continue their attacks on James or move onto their next target. Some of those that made derogatory comments weren’t that smart, though. They actually left their comments using a real account. I could easily post their names and, in some cases, where they live, but I won’t do that. Karma will eventually find them and give them exactly what they deserve.

Last week something amazing happened and I have decided to share a few of these negative comments because they’re part of an amazing story now. I don’t want to give these idiots the spotlight, so I have blurred out their last names and profile pictures in the screenshot below. Some of the screenshots also include responses from James’ fans in which I will also blur out their last names and profile pictures. Sound good?

I should probably put one of those TV content warnings here and say that some of the comments and images below may be unsuitable for some audiences. Reader discretion is advised. If you’d rather not see them and skip to the good part at the end, click here.

Alright, here we go…

 

September 6th

Stacy posted the picture at the top of this post to James’ Facebook page.

 

September 16th

Stewart made the following comment:

“The only thing I see here is a masturbating boy on a wheel chair. Take a look at the face expression…”

 

A screenshot of a social‑media post shows a photo of James in a wheelchair wearing a red‑and‑black plaid shirt. Below the photo is a comment containing explicit sexual language, which is not repeated here. The layout shows the commenter’s profile picture, name, and the text box beneath the image, resembling a typical Facebook comment thread.

 

 

September 17th

Stewart left an apology, presumably after one of James’ fans yelled at him:

“James I am sorry I made such ugly comment about your photo, I didn’t understand what it was all about at first. To all my insensitive comment has offended, I am deeply sorry. Forgive please”

 

A screenshot of a social‑media post shows a photo of James in a wheelchair wearing a red plaid shirt, sitting outdoors on grass. Text over the photo reads “Let’s start teaching” and “SAY HELLO.” Below it, a comment from a user named Stewart Olivia appears, offering an apology for a previous insensitive remark. The comment expresses regret, acknowledges the harm caused, and asks for forgiveness. The layout resembles a typical Facebook comment thread.

 

November 5th

Grace tags Ethan in the comments on the Facebook post and then they go back and forth a bit making fun of those in wheelchairs:

“Ethan: Grace, what’s the hardest part of the vegetable to eat?

Grace: Ethan umm the wheelchair I think. <laughing emojis>

Ethan: Grace, <laughing emojis>

Ethan: posts a couple of images of people in wheelchairs

Grace: <laughing emojis>

Grace: savage <laughing emojis>

Grace: posts a picture of someone in a wheelchair”

 

A screenshot of a Facebook comment thread shows two users, Grace Ives and Ethan Parker, exchanging short messages. Ethan asks a question meant as a setup for a joke, and Grace responds with an insensitive punchline referencing a wheelchair. Both users follow with laughing emojis. The layout appears as a typical Facebook comment section with profile photos, names, timestamps, and emoji reactions.

A screenshot of a mobile phone shows a social‑media comment section with two GIFs posted by a user named Ethan Parker. The first GIF shows a person in a wheelchair being assisted by someone in a white coat in what appears to be a medical or hospital setting with sliding doors behind them. The second GIF shows a person in a motorized wheelchair moving across a shiny floor inside a brightly colored café or restaurant. The phone display shows the time, battery level, and network information at the top.

A screenshot of a social‑media comment section shows three comments from a user named Grace Ives. The first comment contains three laughing‑with‑tears emojis. The second says “savage” followed by two laughing emojis. The third comment includes a GIF of a person in a wheelchair on a basketball court, raising one finger, with a scoreboard in the background showing zeros for both teams. The GIF includes watermarks from Tenor and GIFSoup. The layout resembles a typical Facebook comment thread.

 

After the above comments were posted, some of James’ fans took it upon themselves to personally contact Ethan about his comments. Some of his fans discovered where Ethan worked and suggested that people should contact the company about the comments he made. I worried that this may get out of hand and wrote an email to the company to explain the situation. It’s one thing to go after the person that made the comments, but don’t go after the company they work for.

A friend of Stacy’s contacted Ethan directly through Facebook:

Friend: You said very terrible things. You don’t even know the half of what this boy and his mother have had to live through. If you knew them, you would understand how heartbreaking your jokes were. The mother of this boy saw your comments.

Ethan: Good morning, being honest, we though it was just a meme, we did not understand it was someone’s son, we see a lot of stuff on Facebook, jokes etc, how ever, joke or real life, I understand this is something that shouldn’t be laughed about, and for that we are sorry! On behalf of me and my sister, if you could please show the Childs parents, that it was not meant to be a cruel joke.

Friend: This was the most mature and thoughtful response! Thank you and have a great day!

Ethan : One again we are sorry! If the parents with to contact me, then they can have my Facebook, and I can apologise to them. Thankyou

I am not sure if I can accept Ethan’s apology. I hope he feels like shit for making the comments that he did and being called out for it. His sister, too. I don’t care if he thought it was a joke or not. The fact that he basically made fun of anybody in a wheelchair is not acceptable. James will never know what it’s like to walk, or run, or play sports, or ride a bike. Is that funny? I don’t think so. How about someone who was involved in a car accident and lost one or both of their legs and needs to use a wheelchair to get around. Is that funny? Or how about a soldier who lost their legs while fighting in a war? I think I’ve made my point. None of this is funny.

 

November 14th

Steven posts this comment:

“Jesus, How about we put him out of his fucking misery.”

 

A screenshot of a Facebook comment section appears beneath a post featuring a person sitting outdoors on grass wearing a red jacket. The post includes the phrase “SAY HELLO.” In the comments, one user named Steven Brandt leaves a violent, inappropriate remark that is not repeated here. Below that, a user named Marie writes, “Hey James what’s up?” and the page “Fans of James” replies, “Marie hanging in there!! Resting after school.” The layout resembles a typical Facebook thread with profile photos, names, and timestamps.

 

November 23rd

Heliodoro leaves a comment and gets multiple responses:

“Heliodoro: I don’t understand how people is okay with this how are you going to prison a soul in a body that have no will over anything.

Andrea: Heliodoro are you suggesting they murder him?

Heliodoro: Andrea can you see your self in his shoes?

Mackenzie: The should’ve aborted him if they knew his condition before having him. This is torture to a person. They live in CONSTANT pain and agony. They cant walk, talk, feed themselves..they cant even use the restroom. It’s so sad.

Mackenzie: And so selfish of the parents.

Jeff: Well…your not wrong

Elaine: Heliodoro obviously an uneducated fool who has no idea what they are talking about. I would never ever comment on something like this to s stranger but YOU are everything that is wrong with the human race. You vile person.

Elaine: Mackenzie maybe your parents should have aborted you if they knew you would turn into such a dickhead”

 

A screenshot of a Facebook comment thread shows three users — Heliodoro Gomez, Andrea (last name blurred), and Mackenzie Howell — discussing a post. Heliodoro writes a critical comment about James in the photo. Andrea replies by questioning whether he is implying something extreme. Heliodoro responds by asking if she can imagine herself in the James' situation. A third commenter, Mackenzie, adds a harsh statement about James' existence. The layout shows profile photos, names, timestamps, and the typical Facebook interface.

A screenshot of a social‑media comment thread shows a user posting a violent, inappropriate remark, which is not repeated here. The layout includes the commenter’s profile photo, name, and timestamp in a typical Facebook interface. No additional images or media appear in the thread.

A screenshot of a Facebook comment section shows two comments from a user named Elaine. Both comments contain hostile, insulting language directed at other users, which is not repeated here. Each comment includes options to like, reply, or message. The phone interface shows the time, network, and battery indicators at the top.

 

November 24th

Bryan made a meme from the original image in which he cropped around James’ face and wrote this on the picture: WHEN SHE KEEPS SUCKING AFTER YOU NUT.

 

A screenshot of a Facebook comment section shows a user posting a sexually explicit remark, which is not repeated here. The layout includes the commenter’s profile photo, name, timestamp, and the standard Facebook options to like or reply. No additional images or media appear in the thread.

 

I don’t understand why he also added “Do not copy” to the meme. So, he makes a copy of someone else’s picture, adds some words to it, and tells us not to copy it? What’s he going to do, come after me for copyright infringement? What a genius this guy is!

 

November 25th

Jeremiah also turned the original picture into a meme in which he added a bird with a worm in such a way that it looks like it’s feeding James.

 

A screenshot of a Facebook comment thread shows several users responding to a post. At the top, Mary leaves a friendly Thanksgiving greeting. Below her, Jeremiah Carter posts an edited image showing James in a red plaid shirt outdoors with an open mouth, and a large bird appearing to feed him a worm. Partial text from the original photo, including “SAY HELLO,” is still visible. Beneath that, Abraham comments “Hello,” and Anglisa adds a warm greeting with a yellow heart emoji. The interface shows profile photos, names, timestamps, and the standard Facebook layout.

 

Alright, I think that is enough. I apologize if any of the above comments or pictures upset any of you. I just wanted to give you a glimpse of what we’ve had to deal with.

Now we get to the best part of the story…

 

In the End, Good Always Wins

It’s good to have friends in the media. There is a reporter for the Daily Herald that has been writing articles about James for the past several years. First with the van fundraiser, then with the bathroom renovation, and then with the fundraiser the students had for us at Elmhurst College. He follows James on Facebook and when all of these disrespectful and hurtful comments were made on the viral post, he decided to write an article about it….and it made the front page of the paper.

 

The front page of the Daily Herald newspaper from December 3, 2019 features a large headline reading “Good must beat bad on Facebook.” Beneath it is a photo of James sitting in his wheelchair on grass, with overlaid text from the original meme encouraging people to “say hello.” A caption explains that the image was created to promote understanding of disability but was mocked online. Additional headlines appear on the page, including political news about an impeachment inquiry and smaller teasers for stories inside the paper. The layout follows a typical newspaper front‑page design with multiple columns, photos, and section headers.

 

But it didn’t stop there. I guess someone at NBC 5 News Chicago saw the paper and also wanted to cover the story. They contacted Stacy and asked her to do a news story on it that same day. Stacy met the reporter and her camera crew at James’ school where they interviewed Stacy and James’ one-on-one nurse. The story and video are on NBC Chicago’s website here.

In case you can’t view the video on NBC Chicago’s website, Stacy took a cellphone recording of it which can be viewed below. I’m probably breaking copyright law by posting it here, but it’s such an awesome story that needs to be shared. Credit goes to NBC Chicago. Sorry about the low volume.

 

 

We want to send a special thank you to both the Daily Herald and NBC Chicago for running this story.  The outpouring of support in response to this media coverage has been huge. Just as an example, the reporter from the Daily Herald forwarded Stacy the following email that he received:

“I loved “Instead of ‘don’t stare’ Let’s start teaching ‘Say Hello’”. The Daily Herald’s front page news story made my day. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I have always acknowledged people with disabilities and could always feel their love in return. Plus, the caregiver always looked at me with a smile.

Where can I purchase this flyer. I would love to post it in our schools, library, Village Hall, etc. in Villa Park. I have sent it to my 9 grandchildren, their parents, and great grandchildren. They all responded with love.”

But wait, there’s more! The day after all of the media coverage, a 2nd grade class at James’ school drew a bunch of pictures for James and came into his classroom to say “hello”. His teacher collected the pictures and turned them into a book that he brought home. Here is just a sampling of those pictures:

 

A colorful hand‑drawn pirate scene shows a wooden ship sailing on bright blue waves under a yellow sun with birds flying nearby. Two characters stand on the deck: a captain in a red coat and hat, and “First Mate James,” who is shown using a wheelchair. A dolphin jumps out of the water beside the ship. The ship’s flag features a horse inside a red circle. On the right side, an orange‑outlined speech bubble contains a friendly pirate‑themed message addressed to James. The overall style is cheerful and childlike, with bold colors and simple shapes.

 

A sheet of notebook paper shows a handwritten message in red marker addressed to James. The note includes friendly questions and mentions liking his smile. Below the writing is a large yellow circle with simple red features forming a smiling face. Under the drawing, the word “smile” is written in big red letters. The page sits inside a spiral‑bound notebook on a light surface, giving the whole image a cheerful, child‑made look.

 

A page from a spiral‑bound notebook shows a handwritten note in large black and blue marker addressed to James. The message expresses affection, says he is unique, and mentions that seeing him makes the writer happy. Below the text is a colorful drawing of a person riding a multicolored horse, with the rider smiling and wearing a blue shirt. A small sign next to the horse reads “James.” The overall style is childlike, bright, and expressive.

 

A hand‑drawn illustration on a spiral‑bound notebook page shows a large yellow smiley face with simple red eyes and a curved red mouth. Colorful stars in red, blue, green, purple, and yellow surround the smiley. Above the drawing, the phrase “BE HAPPY ALWAYS!” is written in blue marker. The overall style is playful, positive, and childlike.

 

A colorful drawing on a spiral‑bound sketchbook page features a rainbow stretching across the top and large red letters spelling “HELLO JAMES.” Below the text is an orange cartoon‑style character with big black eyes and a wide, toothy smile. Small clouds and rainbow‑colored hearts surround the character. In the bottom right corner, the word “Love:” appears, followed by a blurred name. The overall style is playful, bold, and friendly.

 

A colorful hand‑drawn page features several friendly messages written in different marker colors, including greetings to someone named James and wishes for a happy day. The page includes simple smiley faces, a rainbow, and small stick‑figure drawings. The overall style is bright, childlike, and encouraging, with a focus on kindness and positivity.

 

A child’s drawing on a sheet of paper shows a green Christmas tree decorated with ornaments and topped with a star. Next to the tree is a simple stick‑figure person. Above the drawing, handwritten text in marker reads, “Hi James You are the best do you like Christmas.” The page sits on a light surface, giving the whole image a cheerful, holiday‑themed look.

 

Like I said in the beginning of his post, this has been quite a rollercoaster of emotions. We want to thank everyone that posted kind words, shared James’ post, and took on the bullies. We appreciate and love all of you.

In case you are wondering how James has been handling all of this, he’s doing just fine. To be honest, I’m kind of glad that he doesn’t comprehend it. He doesn’t see all of the negative and bad things in the world. I guess he’s lucky in that way. We do think he has been enjoying all of the attention, though. And before you ask, he doesn’t do autographs.

 

James sits in a wheelchair wearing a bright blue T‑shirt and dark sunglasses. The shirt features a graphic of sunglasses and the printed phrase “LOCAL CELEBRITY… No autographs please.” James is indoors in a classroom, with cabinets, a desk phone, and storage bins visible in the background. The overall scene feels casual and light‑hearted.