Whitney Leavitt– a mom from Utah– bopped along to a Kendrick Lamar song while showing off a trending TikTok dance. This sounds like a standard video for the platform, right?
Well, the video gained nearly five million views on Twitter after a user reposted her video with the caption, “Holy sh*t.”
Much of the online community found her video deeply inappropriate. Why? Because she is standing next to her newborn son– who was just diagnosed with respiratory syncytial virus– in the hospital.
As Whitney danced, she included captions on the screen to update her followers on her son’s condition.
“Lil Lee was taken in because of low oxygen. He tested positive for RSV. Waiting for him to breathe better on his own,” the captions read.
According to the CDC, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a “common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious, especially for infants.”
The comment section immediately went wild and accused this mom of misjudging her priorities.
“Still in the hospital. Baby still on oxygen. But she is still worried about us. Ma’am…,” commented one user.
TikTok; pictured above is Whitney Leavitt in her video, dancing next to her son in the hospital
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“People cope by doing drugs or telling jokes, drinking or getting violent. But, they aren’t pulling out their phones to make a video, edit it, and post it on TikTok for clout. This wouldn’t even be a conversation if she kept the phone in her pocket,” another user responded.
Whitney has since deleted the original post but afterward made an apology video. While still in the hospital room, she began talking through tears.
“I understand people are upset with the video that I made. I just want to be clear and communicate that that was me just trying to be positive,” she said, “I think it’s important not to just assume what someone is going through.”
Whitney explained that she took the video down because she could see where people could get the wrong idea.
But, she wanted everyone to know that the video was meant to spark positivity in an otherwise very upsetting and scary situation.
While some people continued to “troll” Whitney’s apology video, tons of love also poured in. Many people noted the uplifting lyrics of Lamar’s song and the historical tendency to use music and dance for emotional expression.
And, most addressed the fact that people on the internet will always find something negative to say.
“Internet bullies! Dancing is a way to express! If she chose to make a TikTok, dancing and telling everyone what’s going on with her child, then so what! You all are really bullying this lady when she is trying her best to deal with what’s going on. Now that is f’d up,” commented one user.
“People can be like ‘what has the world come to,’ but she knows exactly what’s going on with her kid. There’s nothing they can do but wait. And, she’s hitting every beat of her TikTok dance,” chimed in another user, “She’s multi-tasking on multiple levels. Good parenting, I support her.”
While all of the hate undoubtedly hurt Whitney– as she was under an immense amount of stress with her baby boy– she still wanted to thank the supporters who understood her intentions.
“I do want to say thank you to the people who have reached out to me and my family. I just really appreciate it,” she said.
You are often faced with numerous terrifying situations as a parent. And, as technology becomes so integrated into our world, it is inevitable that more people will use it to cope.
Do you think judging this mom for her video was the right thing to do? Would you have acted the same in Whitney’s situation?