A woman is taking a unique approach to helping her boyfriend get the medical care he needs. Tiktok user Madison Olds has flooded the app with viral dancing videos, all in an effort to raise money for her boyfriend's stem cell transplant.
Olds first launched her initiative back in September when she shared a TikTok video dancing to Sada Baby's "Whole Lotta Choppas." At the time, she was sharing the video to raise her chances of being brought aboard TikTok's Creator Fund, which helps influencers earn funding to propel their goals. By October, Olds announced she was now raising money to directly support her boyfriend with stem cells, which could help him walk again. A link in her bio refers followers to a Paypal where they can donate to her cause.
"Day 1 of doing tik tok dances til I raise enough money to surprise my boyfriend with stemcells for Christmas! 74 days til Christmas," Olds wrote in the post.
Her boyfriend Derek Jezewsky was left wheelchair-bound after a horrific motocross accident in April 2017 that broke T6 and T7 vertebrae, fractured four ribs and had both of his lungs lacerated, according to British Columbia publication Kamloops This Week.
@madison_olds There’s a link in the bio if you want to help 🥰 #wheelchair #walkagain #surprise #CleaningHacks #TimeWarpScan #thanksgivingvibes
♬ New Thang - Redfoo
Olds, who now has more than 237,000 followers on TikTok, was still going strong with her challenge 10 days later.
@madison_olds Thanks for tagging @daviddobrik yesterday 🥰🥰🥰 #MotivationMonday #stem cells #wheelchair #boyfriend #fundraise #love
♬ Monica- Everytime Tha Beat Drop - enolabedard
Olds' followers shared messages of support in the comments section.
"OMG I'm obsessed with this! Praying that he is able to get the stem cells," one TikTok user wrote.
Another wrote: "I was in a similar accident with exact same breaks.. I was blessed and got my legs back, god bless you both. And sharing this til you guys make it."
TikTok first announced its $200 million Creator Fund back in July to help creators land brand partnerships, sponsorships, and representation deals.
"To further support our creators, we're launching the TikTok Creator Fund to encourage those who dream of using their voices and creativity to spark inspirational careers. The US fund will start with $200 million to help support ambitious creators who are seeking opportunities to foster a livelihood through their innovative content. The fund will be distributed over the coming year and is expected to grow over that time," the company wrote in a statement at the time.
"Through the TikTok Creator Fund, our creators will be able to realize additional earnings that help reward the care and dedication they put into creatively connecting with an audience that's inspired by their ideas," TikTok continued.
By the end of July, TikTok announced the funding was expanded to $1 billion to help more applicants.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Michigan native, Janice Williams is a graduate of Oakland University where she studied journalism and communication. Upon relocating to New ... Read more
