I once uploaded an Instagram of me at Old Navy trying to get all kissy-face with a mannequin . At the time it seemed like a good idea , but she was rather unresponsive . Probably just not into gingers . It was a silly moment , for sure , but it also accurately illustrated my overall artistic contribution to the world of social photo sharing . Which is to say : Little to none . `` Hey , what filter looks best for an Allman Brothers ticket stub ? '' Real Ansel Adams kind of stuff . Finally , about two months ago , I took a short break from Instagram . My farewell offering was a three-second video where I simply exclaimed , `` ¡Ay , que lastima ! '' Translation : `` Oh , what a shame . '' But it was n't . Nobody cared . Nor should they have . I was using Instagram for all the wrong reasons . And I still am . However , recently , a new account started catching everyone 's attention for all the right reasons . Because , unlike my periodic visual odes to my dog 's butt , everything about grandmabetty33 is wonderful . And people care . It all started about three months ago when 18-year-old Zach Belden , a high school senior in Jeffersonville , Indiana , decided to start documenting the final days , months , and ( hopefully ) years of his great-grandmother , Betty Jo Simpson . Grandma Betty has lung cancer . She was diagnosed in December . She 's 80 . `` Many of my friends knew Grandma , '' Belden told me . `` And it was a neat way to connect her to them . '' Amazingly , after about a week , Grandma Betty had nearly 100 followers . And because she 's pretty much the cutest thing walking the planet -- sorry , sloths -- her account quickly caught on even more with people who had never even met her . One of Grandma Betty 's biggest fans is the musician Pharrell . Belden says they were amazed when she went over 1,000 followers , but when she reached 4,400 , somehow that seemed to be the magic number . `` I 'll never forget that number , '' Belden says . `` That 's when it kicked off . '' Soon , they were on TV . Soon , Belden 's phone started ringing off the hook . Soon , they had no idea what they were getting themselves into . And soon , Grandma Betty 's account began growing by the thousands . At press time she had more than 350,000 followers . Of course , with great fame comes great responsibility . Grandma Betty had to become more tech savvy . There are rules to Internet stardom , and the first one is that you take your own selfies . Which was n't easy . Belden admits , `` Teaching her how to take a selfie is harder than it probably seems . '' But Grandma Betty 's getting it , and , more importantly , she gets Instagram . Belden says , `` She knows that I post her pictures and videos on the Internet , people like them , and every time we get the chance , we sit down for a couple hours and just read the heartwarming comments she receives everyday . '' But never mind the comments . Grandma Betty had to get a P.O . Box . On Saturday , Belden opened one for his great-grandma , and four days later she got her first letter from a fan in Minnesota . Because , you know , that 's what Minnesotans do . Wonderfully nice things . I hate them all . Then , on Thursday , she got 20 additional letters and a package with a handmade lap quilt . People . Sometimes they 're just really good . But all this is about more than just some old lady making duck faces and peace signs for the amusement of strangers on the Internet . This is about two people -- generations apart -- finding a creative , 21st-century extension to a close bond that was built over many years . Belden explains , `` Before grade school , I did n't have a babysitter . I had my grandma . We 're so undeniably close , and I would hate to lose her . She thinks the same of me and my family -- she tells us every day . '' But sometimes she just sticks out her tongue . Like she did when she was visiting the `` cancer doctor '' and was eating blue candy . You could tell . It was definitely blue . And now that image has become the official Grandma Betty logo thanks to a company called 1facewatch who designed it for her based on the photo . So , Grandma Betty has a logo , and fans just keep pouring in . Belden admits , `` Grandma loves Instagram arguably even more than I do . It gives her something to look forward to . You never know what you 're gon na get with her . '' Which is far more than I can say for myself . I 'm recently back on Instagram , and it 's pretty much just more photos of my dog 's butt . ¡Ay , que lastima ! Follow @ JarrettBellini on Twitter .
Jason Belden created an Instagram account for his great - grandmother , battling lung cancer . ' Rose has become an Internet sensation and has hundreds of thousands of followers . Belden : ` ` teaching her how to take a selfie is harder than it probably seems ''