Gladiator Award Winner: Bo Petterson
The Babbitt Family Foundation is proud to announce the second winner of the Gladiator Award: Bo Petterson! Through his actions and dedication, Mr. Petterson inspires those around him. We are pleased to share his story with you.
Bo Petterson has enjoyed three distinct career paths in his lifetime. To those, he adds a fourth: dad to tens of thousands of people. The path leading him to surrogate fatherhood began during his daughter Emily’s freshman year in college. During a September soccer game, Emily collided with another player, sustaining a severe head injury and causing her to topple unconscious to the ground. At the hospital, the Pettersons were informed Emily had suffered a skull and two spine fractures. She was later diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury. Her life would change forever.
After years of medical care, physical therapy, and further complications, Emily’s health has improved. While still suffering the long-term effects of her injuries, she has since graduated college. Emily has applied her experience to redefining herself while serving others through her work in the National Football League (NFL). The emotional and financial support from her family has been paramount to her continued recovery.
Years of medical care left the Pettersons struggling to handle Emily’s bills. Bo Petterson took it upon himself to solve the family crisis and raise money for his daughter’s continued care. Seeing how much Emily needed a dad, Bo sought to become a father-figure for others facing struggles large and small. He launched a TikTok channel, DadAdviceFromBo, offering helpful tips to anyone needing to know how to check a tire’s air pressure, select a Christmas tree, or go camping safely. He eventually added a store where fans could purchase shirts, the profits funding Emily’s medical bills.
The fans’ outpouring of gratitude astonished Bo, even after reaching over one million fans. Bo filled a need numerous people were unaware they lacked and were missing. He became a dad to tens of thousands of faceless strangers on the internet, a man whose love encompasses not only his own family but people across the world.
If you wish to contribute to Emily’s medical fund, you can Venmo donations to: EmilyBrainInjury. Alternately, you can follow Bo Petterson at https://www.tiktok.com/@dadadvicefrombo?
We hope Mr. Petterson’s story will inspire you to discover how “a single individual can contribute to changing the world and benefitting all humanity” (Buckminster Fuller). How will you make a difference today? Be your own Gladiator and improve the world!
Originally published at https://www.babbittfamilyfoundation.org on January 25, 2021.
