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AIPROPX ReportNewsweek · 1h ago
Woman Blocks Best Friend of 16 Years, but There’s an Unexpected Twist
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. A woman was left feeling "physically sick" after making the decision to block her best friend of more than 16 years on social media—but, fear not, because there is an uplifting twist.
Following 16 years of friendship , Hayley Carson, 33, made the heartbreaking choice to block her closest companion, Jessica, 35, on social media in July. Hayley, who resides in Nashville, Tennessee, told Newsweek that this drastic action felt "very difficult and unnatural," but there was a specific reason for it.
"Jessica has been my constant through every chapter," Hayley said. "She is much more than my best friend; she is my family. We have walked through loss, breakups, family illnesses, major changes, and the births of her beautiful children together."
Indeed, Jessica’s family has experienced many setbacks recently, leading to a heavy financial burden . Their home sustained significant damage in a winter storm, requiring them to live out of a hotel for three months, and after suffering a workplace injury, Jessica’s husband is unable to work. Jessica had to pick up a second job to cover the extensive bills and costs, all the while trying to shield her children from the impact.
Hayley hates seeing her best friend go through such a difficult time in her life, so she made the decision to step in. She set up a fundraiser for the family to ease the burden and kick-started it with $1,000 from her own pocket.
However, she knew that Jessica would not allow this to happen if she knew about it, so Hayley blocked her best friend on social media for three weeks.
"If I could eliminate every financial burden, I would have done it without hesitation," Hayley said. "The idea of asking the internet for help came to me after a conversation Jessica and I had in July. She told me more about what her family had been facing, and, for the first time, I heard her usual hopeful optimism give way to defeat.
"I started the fundraiser with a $1,000 contribution, not because I expected recognition, but because I wanted to lead with action. I could not carry the entire financial burden, but I could carry the first piece and ask others to help with the rest."
Hayley documented her decision to block Jessica on social media (@heyhayleycarson on Instagram) and encouraged others to help if they could. Her videos went viral with hundreds of thousands of views, and, soon, the donations started pouring in.
It was so heartwarming for Hayley to see so many donations and kind messages from people across the internet. She told Newsweek that the "most meaningful part" was that the donors have never even met Jessica, and yet they still wanted to help.
Of course, Hayley continued speaking to Jessica on the phone despite blocking her online . She tried to keep everything else as normal as possible, but the secret became harder to keep as the fundraising efforts increased.
"Jessica is incredibly independent and much more comfortable giving help than receiving it. Blocking her was never about shutting her out of my life; it was simply the only way to keep the fundraiser off her social media until I could tell her myself," Hayley continued.
On August 11, Hayley felt it was finally time to tell her best friend everything. She traveled to Ohio, where Jessica resides, and they went out for a girls’ night. While they were at dinner, Hayley unblocked Jessica on social media, before setting up a camera to film the reveal later that evening. Hayley convinced Jessica that she was filming a reaction video for an artist she works with, only to present Jessica with a much greater surprise.
As Jessica watched the Instagram videos and realized what her friend had been organizing, she was stunned by the overwhelming generosity that generated over $6,000 in donations.
Hayley said: "She watched all the videos, saw the donations and kind messages from strangers who had been supporting her. The most beautiful part was watching Jessica see herself through everyone else’s eyes for a moment; not as someone who had failed or needed rescuing, but as someone deeply loved and worthy of support."
The video of Jessica finding out about the fundraiser went viral on Instagram with over 706,000 views at the time of writing. As that generated more views, it led to even more donations, and the fundraiser has now surpassed $10,000.
So far, the money has helped the family to pay off some of the debts accrued in recent months and continue the repairs on their home. While Hayley acknowledges that the money won’t erase everything the family has endured, it has created some much-needed breathing space.
"I hope this story reminds people that accepting support is not selfish, embarrassing, or a sign of failure. Strength is not refusing every outstretched hand—sometimes strength is trusting someone enough to take it," Hayley said.
She continued: "This experience also reminded me how much good exists in the world. Thousands of people offered what they could (a donation, a share, a prayer, or an encouraging word) and that became something powerful. When enough people show up, small acts of kindness can create change."
The fundraiser remains open, and Hayley is still hopeful that they will reach the target of $26,000.
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Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Charlotte Nisbet and James Debens
Woman Blocks Best FriendYearsThere’sUnexpected TwistHayley Carson
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