Without a doubt, the internet has changed the way people communicate. While information used to only travel locally, stories from the other side of the world can be right in front of us in mere moments. Although many people have written about the negative effects of the internet, sometimes the quick sharing of information can lead to better situations for people in trouble.
That was the case for one family living in India.
The story originated as the result of a viral Twitter thread.
The original post was shared by Shiv Sunny, a journalist working with the Hindustan Times.
The images attached to the tweet were candid photographs of a boy at a crematorium, lifting up the sheet and crying. According to the tweet, the man under the sheet was a poor laborer who worked on the Delhi sewer systems and had died. The tragedy occurred on September 14th, 2018, when the man, named Anil, was being lowered into a 20-foot-deep sewer by a weak rope.
When the rope snapped, he fell and eventually died of asphyxiation.
Shortly after the pictures were posted on Twitter, the story made its way around the internet.
It went viral and was picked up by many different news outlets, including the BBC. As an addendum to his original tweet, Sunny added bank transfer information for the boy’s family for anyone who wanted to donate. As his news story in the Hindustan Times explained, the family didn’t have enough many to pay for the man’s funeral.
Fortunately, kind strangers from all around the world ended up donating upwards of $43,000 in a single day.
For his part, Sunny said that he was so moved by the scene that he had to share it with the world.
He gave more comments on the scene in an interview with the BBC:
“I am a crime reporter and I have seen a lot of tragedy. But this was something I had never seen . . . I just wanted to draw attention to the deaths of sewer workers.”
As the story developed, it was discovered that the boy in the photograph was not Anil’s biological son. In fact, Anil had moved in with a woman who already had three children where they lived together as husband and wife for at least three years. According to Anil’s wife, who remained anonymous in her interview with the Hindustan Times, Anil had been a savior to her and her children:
“My [ex] husband would come home drunk, beat me and our children. He kicked me out of our home and I was on the streets. Anil took me in. We were living as husband and wife, and were soon to be married. He treated my children as his own.”
Although this story is incredibly tragic, there is a glimmer of hope in the story that so many were able to come to the grieving family’s aid.
Beyond the tragedy of Anil’s loss, the family had also lost a daughter to pneumonia as well. If you read this story and were moved by the hardships this family had to face, please consider sending some money to their family to help them out during this hard time. Although the family’s loss cannot be replaced, everyone who heard their story can still give them all the support and kindness that they can muster.
Watch the story below.
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