Facebook helps grieving parents look back at son’s life
Facebook’s Look Back videos have saturated users’ news feeds this week, allowing users to share with their friends their biggest moments on the site. But a Missouri man who cared more about seeing his son’s biggest moments petitioned Facebook to make it possible.
John Berlin of St. Louis uploaded a video to YouTube explaining that he had lost his 21-year-old son, Jesse Berlin, on Jan. 28, 2012. He said he liked the Facebook videos, but seeing his son appear in his Look Back video made John want to see some of Jesse’s biggest moments.
“You ever do something crazy because you just don’t know what to do anymore?” John Berlin asks in the YouTube video. “Well, that’s what I’m doing right now.”
The video, published on Wednesday, had been viewed more than 1 million times as of Thursday afternoon. Berlin commented Wednesday night to say Facebook had contacted him and his wife to say the social giant would create the video within the next couple days.
He said Jesse died of natural causes and the autopsy was inconclusive.
“He is proof that there are no guarantees in life,” he wrote. “Hug your children kiss them. Tell them you love them every single day.”
Facebook rolled out the Look Back users on Tuesday in celebration of its 10th birthday. The Los Angeles Times reported on Wednesday that hundreds of millions of the movies have been created so far.
Contact Stephanie Grimes at sgrimes@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @steph_grimes