Dad’s children’s book on coping with grief sold 1 copy. Now it’s going viral on TikTok
A dad's children's book on navigating grief has captured the hearts of TikTok, creating a "bond of pain and joy" across the app.
During Chuck Wilson's new author event, only one person bought his book, "Merle's Sweatshirt," according to a Sept. 15 video Wilson's 25-year-old daughter, Sarah Van Reeth , posted on TikTok.
Now, the video has been viewed over 3.2 million times as of Sept. 19.
Wilson, a dad to 13 kids who lives in New Hope, Pennsylvania, had a dream when his oldest son Ryan was age 2, Wilson told McClatchy News in a phone interview.
"I had this dream about real people," Wilson said. "I wrote the book and tucked it away into a file and basically forgot about it."
Ryan eventually went to college where he struggled with substance abuse before dropping out, Wilson said.
"Then he met his future wife and they were married," Wilson said. "She became pregnant. We were all so excited when baby Laurel was born."
The couples' substance abuse "continued to haunt them," so Wilson and his wife acted as Laurel's foster parents when she was born, he said.
Then, when Laurel was 8 months old and Ryan's sister, Van Reeth, was 17 years old, Ryan died from an overdose, Wilson said. Shortly after, Laurel's mom died from an overdose.
Wilson said Laurel's parents "loved their baby girl so much."
When Laurel was 5 years old, Wilson was telling his family about "Merle's Sweatshirt" for the first time, he said.
"Everyone was like, 'We gotta publish this because it would help so many people,'" he said. "So many people have experienced loss, so many people are broken, we're all broken, so that's why we decided to basically self-publish it."
Wilson, who has 10 grandkids, said the book got published and "not much happened."
"A book store said, 'Hey we have this new author book signing thing and we'll invite you along with a new author,' so I showed up thinking, 'Well maybe I'll sell one book,' and my daughters came to visit and no one was there," he said.
That's when Van Reeth posted the video that showed Wilson wearing his "Merle's Sweatshirt" t-shirt standing behind the table showcasing the book.
"When I posted this video everyone started showing their support and I don't know, it just blew up," Van Reeth said.
As for how the book came to be, Wilson said it was "weird."
"The book wasn't about Ryan. He was so little, there were real people in the dream but I changed it to mice to make it softer for kids," he said. "I thought it would be easier for them if it was an animal."
Wilson said this book isn't strictly for kids.
"It's for kids from 2 to 92," he said. "Kids are getting a lot out of it but the adults are getting way more out of it. They can grieve in a whole different way but I'm not telling people an A, B, C way to do it. I'm just showing how they went through it and everyone has to go through it."
As for Van Reeth's experience, she said: "It's so isolating when it's your family but it's crazy how many people have lost someone."
Wilson said Laurel, now 8 years old, is thriving.
"We worked hard with her and next thing you know she's walking and then she's running," Wilson said. "She had trouble talking and then with everyone in the family working with her, now your ears are bleeding with how much she talks."
Wilson said when the family adopted Laurel, it "went from this incredible sadness to a happiness at the same time," according to a Sept. 16 TikTok that's garnered over 376,000 views as of Sept. 19.
"She's so athletic, she's like a super athlete and a super student, it's crazy," he said.
Wilson said he's trying to get the book translated into other languages because "people are hurting everywhere."
"Our only goal is to help people find healing," he said. "We want people to remember, to remember. Remember the person you lost and remember to love the people in front of you right now."
As for TikTok viewers, everyone is in agreement that Wilson "should be so proud of himself."
"I am definitely telling my team at the library to order this book for sure," one person said.
"We just lost my grandmother last week, my children lose their Gigi — I ordered this book for us," another wrote.
"Buying your book (right now)! Lost my dad 20 months ago and I'm taking it as a sign from him," one said.
"Oh my gosh. We lost my older brother three years ago and I'm CRYING over how he put his grief into something so beautiful. I think I'll buy a few for myself and my family members too, love to yall," one wrote.
New Hope is about a 40-mile drive northeast from Philadelphia.
This story was originally published September 19, 2024, 1:58 PM.
