When people ask me about the power of Twitter, I often tell a story how Gary Vaynerchuck saved my life on Twitter. Funniest thing is that I have told it to so many people that now I sometimes get the “I have heard it from someone else, but didn’t know it was about you”. Gary didn’t know it when it happened, nor I have never really had guts to tell him how his tweet “saved my life”. But Gary – let this be a Happy New Year to you and my public thanks to you and my support for everything that you do. You are changing and saving lives man! In June 2008 I got very sick, I got pulmonary embolism, I had 13 blood clots, and was hospitalized. I wrote a few updates from the hospital bed, but I had a 48 hour period of time that I (nor the doctors) were sure that I was going to make it. I was not able to talk much, not walk, not even eat myself, and I needed help breathing. I was told that the sooner I can breathe on my own and be without the oxygen mask, the better chances of surviving I had. The sooner I was able to walk again, the better chances of surviving I had. I reached out to Twitter for friends and support. One of the Tweets I read from my hospital bed was from @Garyvee and went something like this “These two songs get me really pumped right now: American Boy by Estelle and Let’s Ride by The Game”. “Heck, if they get Gary all pumped up, maybe they will get me all pumped up too” I thought and I downloaded both of them. And I took away the oxygen mask and stood up and jammed on the music. Well, sort of, I was able to stand like a half of a song at the time, but I just took a break, caught up with my breathing, and stood up and tried jamming on the music again, and again, and again. And again. No, I wasn’t really able to dance, nor it was an instant miracle, but the day after I was able to talk more, and even walk a little bit. A few days later I was able to go home. Did the jamming and music save my life, or Twitter, or Gary..? I don’t know. But what I know is that I got support not just from my family, but from my community on Twitter and that support got me going. These two songs became my theme songs for getting “pumped up” and for getting better. They are still in my iPhone, and I still listen to them. I would never be here where I am today without being inspired by amazing success stories like Gary’s, nor without my online community and friends and their support. Or without the power of Twitter. I truly believe that even if they together didn’t save my life, they changed it forever. Thank you.  

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