A post written by Owensboro resident Megan Jackson went viral in December 2017 when she begged people to stop telling their children that expensive gifts — such as iPads, iPhones and any other gifts over $200 — came from Santa. That post reached hundreds of thousands of people all across the globe, and is still making headlines today as Jackson was recently interviewed by Good Morning America to speak about it.
Jackson, a social worker in the local area, asked parents via Facebook to start taking responsibility for expensive gifts as many families across the world couldn’t afford such presents. The kids from less privileged families are often left wondering why Santa doesn’t treat them the same way, Jackson said.
“Cause some families can’t afford that,” she wrote. “Little kids wonder why they got socks or a coat or hand me down toys from Santa and other kids got an iPad. This is the second year I’ve had a parent cry to me telling me that their kid asked why they weren’t good enough or Santa didn’t like them as much.”
Two Christmases later, Jackson said she was both humbled and surprised when Good Morning America reached out to her about her highly shared Facebook post.
Jackson spoke to GMA Editor Genevieve Shaw Brown for about two hours and was told during a conference call with GMA producers that her story would be shared on the GMA and ABC News webpages.
“One mom’s plea on why parents should take credit for the expensive gifts under the tree” was written by Brown and shared to GMA’s webpage on Thursday.
“In the two years since her post, many people have been inspired to do good for others,” Brown wrote. “A man saved a family in Dunn’s (Jackson’s maiden name) hometown from having their home foreclosed on, she told GMA,” Brown wrote. “Many people were inspired to adopt other families for Christmas.”
In 2017 and 2018, Jackson used the post’s popularity to connect families from different states in order to purchase Christmas gifts by using site-to-store. People from New York who wanted to sponsor families in need could be connected to a family in Florida through Jackson’s efforts.
In eight days, Jackson was able to help at least one family from all 50 states, she told GMA.
And though not all the feedback has been positive as there were some parents who didn’t agree with her 2017 post, Jackson said she never imagined that what she wrote would stir such a reaction out of so many people.
“It’s humbling because so many people from across the world — a lady from the Indian Islands messaged me yesterday — would be willing to share their experiences with me, and tell me how the post influenced how they now celebrate Christmas.”
