TikTok supports single mother who lost job and was diagnosed with cancer
Emily Houseman vented on TikTok after being diagnosed with cancer after the birth of her son. Then strangers showed up to her in a big way.
Through a series of unfortunate events, Emily Hausman went from living with her boss in New York City to living in her parents’ basement in Utah to chatting with strangers online through TikTok while battling cancer as a new mother.
Mr. Hausman wanted a baby. Not having much luck in the love world, she decided to become a parent herself. In November 2024, two months after discovering she was pregnant, Hausman received her first blow: she was fired.
She thought she could find a new job because she “doesn’t look super pregnant yet.” But after a few months, Huisman returned to the Salt Lake City suburbs. It hurt to leave the hustle and bustle of New York City, my home for nearly 20 years.
After her son was born in May, the news brought Houseman to her knees. She returned for a follow-up visit six weeks after her C-section and asked about mastitis, which is common in breastfeeding women. However, Hausman had stopped breastfeeding. Her doctor ordered a mammogram, then an ultrasound, and then a biopsy. That’s when Hausman, who had an infant to care for, was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic melanoma.
“It felt completely ridiculous,” Hausman told USA TODAY. “This has to be a joke at this point.”
Faced with mounting medical bills, Hausman turned to TikTok to vent. She said she gained about 50 followers after sharing her story in a video. To her surprise, it went viral and generous strangers started GoFundMe for her. At first, the GoFundMe was just shared among friends and family. The amount went from about $20,000 to more than $100,000.
“It’s still going on. To be honest, I’m still very shocked that anyone even cared,” Hausman said.
Why do we feel the need to donate to strangers online?
Ashley Harrell, an assistant professor of sociology at Duke University, said empathy is the main driving force behind people donating to strangers. And people tend to identify more with specific people than with groups, causes, or organizations.
Jordan Travers, a New Jersey psychotherapist, called Hausman’s story “a heartbreaking story,” adding, “I think people can relate to it.”
“We may not know the pain Emily is experiencing, but we know what pain feels like,” Travers said. “And we know that pain hurts.”
Harrell said knowing the details of someone’s story, getting updates on their condition, knowing what they look like and who they are “helps you face a crisis,” which leads to a personal, emotional connection. And that feeling makes strangers want to donate, even if they aren’t wealthy themselves.
“People who have less give more of what they have,” Harrell said. She believes that will happen even more with online giving, because donors can see how much money others are giving.
At the same time, Harrell realized that some people feel compelled to donate just a few dollars to strangers online because there is a sense of community in giving. People are moved by the idea that if everyone donates a small amount, we can make a difference together.
“It feels good to give,” Travers said. “When you donate, you feel good and you feel like you’re part of something.”
In 2024, GoFundMe donors raised money for hundreds of thousands of medical fundraisers, totaling more than $1 billion, according to GoFundMe’s annual report. Medical fundraising is the largest category on the platform.
But crowdfunding doesn’t start with strangers.
“Oftentimes, it’s the people closest to you who start a GoFundMe on your behalf,” said Sarah Peck, GoFundMe’s vice president of communications. “In fact, more than 1.3 million fundraisers have been created by close friends, reflecting the deep human desire to help those we love in times of need.”
The kindness of strangers “restored faith in humanity”
Hausman said her best friend created a GoFundMe for her. At first, Hausman wasn’t interested in sharing her story widely or seeking further help from friends and family, let alone strangers. However, she soon realized that she could not fight cancer alone.
Travers said this hesitancy is common because people fear being judged or being traumatized.
Hausman said she found it cathartic once she started sharing her journey. And she has been overwhelmed by the positive and supportive comments from strangers online.
“This really restored my faith in humanity, that people, especially strangers, really showed up for me,” Hausman said. “They really support me.”
Now, she’s focused on getting through immunotherapy (which makes her feel like “absolute garbage”) and spending as much time as possible with her 5-month-old son, Zeke.
“He’s the love of my life. He’s amazing. He’s like the cutest baby ever. I know I’m biased,” she said with a laugh.
Madeline Mitchell’s role covering women and the care economy for USA TODAY is supported by partnerships such as: extremely important and Journalism funding partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.
Contact Madeline at: memitchell@usatoday.com and @maddiemitch_ At X.
