Snapchat Story-I Need a Heart Transplant: Benefits of Social Media Use in Serious Illness

Diagnosis of a serious illness among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) can be socially isolating. Social media platforms may provide a method for AYAs to communicate with peers about their health. The following is a case report of a 16-year-old male diagnosed with heart failure and undergoing heart transplant evaluation. During his prolonged hospitalization, he identified the social media platform, Snapchat, as a tool to communicate with his peers about his diagnosis, treatment, and hospital course. Social media may provide a means for coping and relationship building for AYAs in the setting of serious illness. Further exploration into understanding how AYAs use social media as a platform to process a serious illness may help providers to counsel patients and families about safe social media practice regarding information gathering and sharing online.