We write a lot of stories here at McKnight’s. Now and again it’s worth reflecting on which stories are most popular, and why.
This week the eye grabber was about a survivor of the Titanic ship who sold her memorabilia to pay for her nursing home in England. (See https://www.mcknights.com/home/news/titanic-survivor-sells-mementos-to-pay-for-nursing-home-costs//.)
(**For a special follow-up to the story be sure to read to the end of this entry.)
It’s not a big leap to see why this article has captured people’s attention: Here is a woman linked to a storied event in history. The Titanic, which hit an iceberg and sunk on 1912, holds a grip on Americans’ consciousness—lest you forget about that certain blockbuster movie of the same name in 1997. (Some folks—and you know who you are—cursed this movie for launching that endlessly played pop hit by Celine Dion. But I digress.)
This is not the only story with an interesting human-interest angle that has piqued readers’ interest. Just last month, topping the charts was a story about a man who has decided to give $2 million to a continuing care retirement community because he was so impressed with the care his mother received (https://www.mcknights.com/home/news/titanic-survivor-sells-mementos-to-pay-for-nursing-home-costs//).
And remember the story about the Ugandan king who was a nurse aide in Harrisburg, PA? (https://www.mcknights.com/home/news/nursing-home-aide-turns-out-to-be-a-king/).
Even amidst one of the newsiest periods in recent years—a historical presidential race, a financial crisis with severe implications and two major industry trade shows—readers gravitate towards the interesting and sometimes bizarre light reading items.
I can’t say I’m any different.
What this must be saying is we need diversions. There is more than enough stress and negativity to go around.
**And now, in case you’d like a little more juicy Titanic gossip: It turns out that a British celebrity read the news about the now-famous Millvina Dean and wanted to help. According to hellomagazine.com, when David Gest, a star on the British TV series “I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here,” read about the resident’s financial troubles, he and fellow show participant Matt Willis dropped in on her with a check for 3,000 pounds (about $4,800).
Meanwhile, Dean sold her Titanic mementos anyway and received more than 30,000 pounds (approximately $49,000) for them.
If only more nursing home residents had this kind of safety net …
