▶ Katherine Kim / Troy High School 10th Grade
Nathan Steffel, a father who had only for a while been a part of Internet site Reddit, made a request to complete strangers regarding his daughter. Sophia Steffel had recently passed away as a result of a liver tumor known as hepatichemangioma. Hepatic hemangioma is the result of tangled blood vessels but is not cancerous.
Although adult treatment may not be necessary, it is advised to take caution for newborn babies, as it could result in death. At 6 weeks old, Emily and Nathan Steffen were forced to let go of their child and accept Sophia’s death. Because Sophia was diagnosed with her disease since birth, her parents did not have a picture of Sophia without the medical tubes surrounding her.
Not expecting a very great answer, Sophia’s father posted a photo of Sophia and asked if anyone would take the time to use Photoshop and show what dear baby Sophia would have looked like without her tubes. This status and photo soon became viral and hundreds of people decided to help out the couple in the midst of the tragedy.
Nathan Steffel later thanked all the participants and everyone who had taken the time out of their day to reveal Sophia’s beauty to the parents.
This article touched my heart and really showed me how people are willing to help out a fellow human in need. Although it was a small request, so many people became involved and sent in hundreds of different edits and photos.
Seeing how touched the parents were and how much comfort it provided for them was heart warming. In one of their darkest times, the Steffel family was able to find happiness and receive a uniting light of happiness and support from people all around the world. Complete strangers read Nathan Steffel’s status and devoted5-30 minutes on a little baby they did not know. All they knew was that this family wanted something, and that something should be done. Many people desire to help and do something, but never take action. Seeing that Photoshop is not an uncommon tool in society nowadays, it is genuinely nice to see people helping this family go through a misfortunate death.