Great-Grandma Finds Solace, Joy And Selfies On Instagram

Betty Simpson, who goes by the Instagram handle Grandmabetty33, has become a social media marvel as she fights cancer and shares her adorable spirit with the world.

The account was created by Simpson's 18-year-old great-grandson so the family could monitor her progress. As of now she has a whopping 501,000 followers (thanks in part to this ABC News story) and loves posting selfies, dancing to Pharrell William's hit song Happy and offering up tidbits of advice. Plus, naps with her adorable doggie:

It's always nice to see someone get positive attention on social media, but the part that struck us the most is the underlying reason why the great-grandson set up the account in the first place: To keep the family in the loop. It's easy to dismiss social media as a place with pointless gossip and mean opinions carelessly flying around; when used in GrandmaBetty88's manner it can connect families in a creative and fun way. Even if her account was only followed by five people instead of 500,000 it'd still be a worthwhile endeavor for what it provides: Comfort for the family and an inspirational pick-me-up for the rest of us.

For those of you lucky enough with living Grandparents take note. It's never too late to get them to go digital.

[Story Update: Grandma Betty went to heaven on August, 2 2014. Her grandkids are still keeping the Instagram account active, using it to celebrate the love of all Grandparents everywhere.]

[via ABC News and Grandmabetty33]