Utah family launches viral hashtag to bring joy to daughter with Rett syndrome

SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah family is hoping a simple question — and a single hashtag — will spread across social media this Christmas season. Their goal isn’t fame or followers. It’s something far more personal: bringing joy and connection to their daughter, 18‑year‑old Becca Whitmer, who lives with Rett syndrome. Earlier this year, with help from her parents, Becca began posting one question a week online. It was a way to spark interaction, to make social media actually feel social. For Christmas, the Whitmers decided to expand the idea — and they’re discovering that a simple question can lead to surprisingly meaningful answers. Every word Becca communicates is intentional. Because she cannot speak, she uses an eye‑tracking device to form sentences, thoughts, and jokes. Her physical limitations are real, her parents say — but they don’t define her. “There are a lot of things that make her day hard,” her mother Paula explained. “But inside, she’s just like any other 18‑year‑old.” This year, friends organized a prom just for her. She bakes. She sings with her family. She goes ziplining. She laughs — a lot. And she’s determined not to sit on the sidelines of life. “She wants to learn. And she wants to engage,” Paula said. “And now she wants to advocate, and that’s been really neat to see.” Her parents, Paula and Brian Whitmer, have stepped in to help amplify her voice. “Being able to see someone who has a disability and see that they’re not half a person — they’re a whole person — and they deserve as much respect,” Brian said. So they helped Becca join Instagram — a place where people say a lot, often without thinking much about the words they use. “We don’t typically think about it because we just talk,” Paula said. “Words just come out.” Becca wants to change that. And she’s doing it with one question:

“If you could describe 2025 in one word, what would it be?”

Her family answered first. “My word is changed,” Brian said. “This has been a big year of transition for me.” Paula chose blessings. “I’ve gotten better at recognizing the blessings I’ve seen in my life,” she said. And Becca? “My word is chocolate,” she wrote through her device. “Chocolate makes me happy and it’s something special. I have a lot of great memories from this year — and I have some delicious chocolate too.” The Whitmers hope others will join in by sharing their own word using #OneWordFor2025 — a small gesture that could make a big difference for a young woman determined to connect with the world. So now, the question goes to you: What is your #OneWordFor2025 ?    This story was adapted from a TV broadcast script using artificial intelligence. Every story, including those adapted with AI, is reviewed by a human editor before publication to ensure that KSL's editorial standards are upheld.