That moment, when you go viral
When you have a blog, you can actually see how many hits you get per day. You can also see if people stayed to check out other articles, or if they moved on. You can see your most popular search terms, and can see your most popular posts. My blog averages about 110 unique visitors per day. To me, that is a success. I know that parents and SLP’s browse my site, and in a small way, I know I am spreading awareness.
Something happened though in the last week after Ronda’s fight. My daughter was featured on a Metro PCS commercial that was challenging social media users to post their pictures and #getrondarousey, and Ashlynn’s picture was one out of 7 selected to air on the commercial. It was a picture of her holding a sign that said “Her fight, My Fight. Go Ronda!” and underneath I had written, “I am cheering for Ronda because she beat speech apraxia like I will.” Well, they read that out loud. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNKCzIiQNRA
I can’t be certain, but I think that’s why my blog started getting hit after hit with the search term: Ronda Rousey Apraxia.
Since Ronda has never publicly said she had apraxia, my blog is the only place you would have found that information when I posted my meeting her on May 29th which led to her sharing the brochure.
In the two days following her fight, I started seeing my hits rise. When it reached 20,000 hits, I told my husband, “Cody, I think my blog post went viral.”
He downgraded it. Maybe he was right.
The next night I checked, and it was at 30.000.
The next day Cody posted early in the AM an article published by USA Today which you can read here: Ronda Rousey discusses the rare disorder
That afternoon I had started my first day back at work in the schools. I went to check my phone, and I had two twitter messages, an email, and a voicemail from ABC News and GMA. They were huge Ronda Rousey fans and they wanted to feature my story. I was seriously freaking out. I only called back after two hours amid a lot of co-worker therapy/advice. They wanted to come tonight!! I said okay, but then was immediately paralyzed with fear. My colleagues told me to go home!! What was I doing at work?? I honestly was too scared to move. Moving meant I would get interviewed, and that was really scary.
I finally went home, only to get a call at 4:00 saying they were trying to get everything figured out, but they would call tomorrow. Luckily I didn’t have to work on Friday. I spent the whole day with a knot in my stomach. I texted my apraxia mommy friends, emailed the head of CASANA, and basically freaked out. Finally I got a another call that said they were hoping to interview me this weekend.
Seriously??
I have two little kids. I came home yesterday afternoon trying to keep my house in tip top shape only to have them cancel………again???? Deep breath.
I had to tell them I was going camping that weekend. They rescheduled for Monday at 4:00. Later than I would have liked it, but okay.
It was hard to relax. As I logged onto FB, I discovered Friday night my post was shared by the Huffington Post!! I was glued to the comments, which were all mostly positive. It honestly made my soul smile.
During camping, a friend in Syracuse had been interviewed by her local news station, and a client discovered my article was shared by the UK Daily Mail!! I discovered an MMA site also published their own article, and a friend tagged me in an article on booktribe.
For the record, after 40,000 hits to my blog in one day, my husband had to admit I had indeed gone viral.
(In case you are interested, my website is created and managed by Cody Smith, a software developer at Steam Engine Studios)
I was honestly having an internal struggle as to show Ashlynn’s face or not on national television. I had advice to do it, and advice to NOT do it. After agonizing deliberation, I decided I would be fine with it if the world saw all the other faces of apraxia next to her. I invited everyone locally that I knew who had a child with apraxia, including my clients. One of the mom’s made pretty blue ribbons with a star in the middle to represent our apraxia stars. All the kids and moms wore them. It was awesome and empowering. The kids were excited. The pressure was building. I was stressed to the max. I had my hair done, and was texting my apraxia mom friends. I had one piece of advice from Nicole who quoting Ronda’s book that really hit home:
“I’m not looking to escape pressure. I am embracing it. Pressure is what builds up behind a bullet before it explodes out of the gun.” Ronda Rousey
She was right. Let’s do this.
Well, let’s do this, until 4:00 came and went. I waited until 4:20 to call. No answer again. I called a colleague at GMA. She answered.
“Hi, it’s Laura Smith from Denver, and I hate to bother you but I was just wondering if our appointment was still on.”
“Hon, remind me your story again?”
“Oh, um, I’m an SLP out of Denver and my daughter who has apraxia met Ronda at her Denver book singing?”
“Ohhh ok. Hey, I’ll check. Let me call you back.”
Time ticked on. The kids’ faces became inquisitive. The mom’s faces became discouraged. I felt disappointed but then insanely guilty. All these kids came out for me, and I had disappointed them. I had wanted them to be part of this amazing national experience, and instead, they got to feel let down again. The mom’s felt bad for me, my heart cried for the kids. Sigh
I finally called back at 5:00 and was told that they had to push me off one more day because they weren’t sure if they wanted to do it.
“Wait, do what? The story?”
“Yeah…so sorry. We’ve just been going back and forth, but give us one more day.”
Insert every human emotion. Why would they have called me last Thursday if they weren’t sure they wanted to do the story???? Why did they CONFIRM a day AND time prompting me to invite our Denver apraxia fighters only to NO CALL NO SHOW???
Really?
The oldest child was devastated. He declared to his mom he still liked Ronda but he was mad at the news. I was mad with him. He’s one of mine now, and he had been disappointed. I was pissed too. I get it’s just their job, but these are my babies. They have enough disappointment. How dare this happen 🙁
Everyone went home. I was spent. I had my hair done, had cleaned my entire house and yard…..only to have someone no call no show. Wow! Just….wow.
I retreated to my phone to text the news to all the people I had told. When I opened my email, I found a letter from the chief editor at UFC magazine asking for my information so he could send an autographed glove to my daughter.
Wait…what?
Unbelievable! I was never a fan of the UFC, but I have to say, based on my experience, they are a freaking STAND UP organization!
I told Ashlynn. “I’m sorry the news didn’t come, but guess what? Ronda wants you to have an autographed glove!”
Ashlynn smiled and said, “Where’s Ronda?”
I replied I wasn’t sure but she was famous and couldn’t meet with us. Ashlynn said, “Ronda Rousey? For me?? Why?”
I didn’t have an answer. I don’t know. Because Ronda is just that awesome of a person?
I also found out through various channels that Ronda was on Reddit tonight answering questions. One brave SLP asked the following and received the following answer.
Incredible! How inspirational! Also, my friend from OK said, “Just remember, regardless of how this all turns out, you have brought apraxia awareness to millions.”
I hope so. That has been and always will be, my goal.