A South Carolina toddler and mother who were facing the worst there is of social media may now be on the right side of the web.
Things are getting better for mom Kyra Pringle and her daughter Mariah Anderson, a 2-year-old with a rare genetic condition.
A little more than a week ago, Kyra posted a photo of Mariah to Facebook to celebrate a landmark in young Mariah’s life — her 2nd birthday, which doctors weren’t sure she would ever live to see.
However, thousands of folks on Facebook and Twitter had other ideas — making fun of the birthday girl’s picture and calling her a monster.
When WCBD-TV spoke to the girl’s Summerville family over the weekend, they were having to fend off the attacks, but after sharing her story on TV, South Carolina and the rest of the country took notice.
SC mom speaks out after daughter’s photo is ridiculed
Mariah’s story about her ridiculed photo was shared around the country and in Europe.
“It’s amazing because now the world knows Mariah,” Pringle said of her daughter, whose life expectancy is grim.
The negative spotlight on Mariah is turning positive as the strangers that taunted the 2-year-old began to say ‘I’m sorry.’
“One guy was like I was one of them to share this and laugh because I thought she wasn’t real” said Pringle, “he said I do apologize – if I were you I wouldn’t accept my apology, but I do apologize.”
Kyra is accepting their apologies, but holding off on the nearly 1,000 new friend requests.
Instead, the mom is ignoring the bad online and focusing on all the love she is receiving in messages.
“With this one negative comment I probably got 30 positive comments and all I can say is thank you,” said Pringle.
Thanks because she can focus on being a mom again, instead of dealing with the deluge of negative comments and awful distorted images.
Mariah and her family are heading up to North Carolina in a couple of week for treatment and observation.
There is no cure for her Chromosome Two Duplication Syndrome, but Mariah is already living longer than doctors expected.
Just last week, the family just wanted the virtual storm to pass, but now they are dealing with the positive side of the attention.
“People are going to do what they are going to do,” said David Anderson, Mariah’s father, “the only thing that’s bothering me is what’s bothering my family.”