Chicago Bears fans hunting for updates on wide receiver Luther Burden, who left the field with a concussion during Sunday night's game against Tampa Bay, stumbled instead onto a post from a stranger half a world away in Australia expressing suicidal thoughts. What followed was an outpouring of encouragement from people who had never heard of the poster before that night, and who kept responding anyway.
The post that caught fans' attention read, “if i kill myself then i'm just no longer a burden,” according to CBS News Chicago. Because so many Bears fans were searching for information on Burden's condition at the same time, the post surfaced in their feeds, and they responded with encouraging messages rather than scrolling past. The user, identified only as Yuri, said they live in Australia and had no idea who the Chicago Bears were before that night.
A Search for Injury News Becomes Something Else
Burden left Sunday night's game against the Buccaneers with a concussion after a hit to the helmet, according to WGN-TV. As fans refreshed social media for updates on his status, Yuri's post kept appearing because it shared his name. CBS News Chicago reported that one fan, Jake Cooper, said Yuri did not know who the Bears were, while another, Chris Lobosco, said fans called out a rude response directed at Yuri and encouraged them instead.
The post went viral after Bears fans responded supportively, and the attention snowballed quickly. WGN-TV reported Yuri's post was seen more than six million times, while Jake Cooper told CBS News Chicago that Yuri had gained about 10,000 followers within two days. Strangers in Chicago offered Yuri tickets to a future Bears game and sent well-wishes before their upcoming school tests.
What Mental Health Experts Say About Responding Online
Jonathan Singer, a social work professor at Loyola University Chicago, said the public outpouring of support was helpful in this situation. He is identified by Loyola University Chicago as a professor at its School of Social Work.
Singer said he typically recommends direct messaging someone who expresses suicidal thoughts on social media, rather than replying publicly. He also cautioned that social media users are not responsible for saving someone's life when they engage online, a distinction he said matters even when a response like the one Yuri received turns out well.
CBS News Chicago noted that the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, free and confidential, for anyone who needs support.
