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Believe it or not, Bo Petterson is usually pretty camera shy.
It took a lot of convincing for the “Dad Advice” TikTok star to start making videos with his daughter, Emily Petterson. Nearly six years after their first video went viral, and with 4.6 million followers, Bo Petterson is still getting used to being recognized in public. And he definitely doesn’t want to know how many views his videos get. His daughter keeps track of those logistics.
“My dad, he is a very shy guy. He’s not really the type of guy you would think would be in this position,” Emily Petterson said, laughing.
But outside of his tips on how to change a tire and other practical guides, the Pettersons use social media to hang on to hope that someday Emily Petterson will get better. In 2019, at 28, she left her dream job to move back in with her parents on their farm in Washington after lasting, debilitating pain from a traumatic brain injury made it impossible for her to continue on in her normal young adult life.
“The depression that she was in, and the pain, of course, it was tough to watch that, as a parent. Because there’s nothing, really, that you can do,” Bo Petterson, 67, said. He didn’t know what social media was at the time, and refused to be on camera for a while. But one thing was clear to him. “She needed something.”
‘The world needed him.’
Emily Petterson has tried several treatments, most of them painful, with long recovery windows and lackluster results.
“I just started getting sadder and sadder, being out here and not having successful treatments,” she said. “It started to feel like, what am I living for, you know? I don’t have friends, I can’t work.”
Her therapist encouraged her to start doing something, anything, that would spark joy for even just 10 minutes a day. TikTok was gaining traction at the time, so she asked her dad if he’d make videos with her.
He rejected it at first. But one day, worn down by her requests, he said OK. Emily Petterson walked outside and asked him for some advice. She recorded the video of him backing up his trailer, posted it on the app and watched as the likes and comments came in.
“I guess the world needed him at that time, because his videos just took off,” she said.
Now when they make videos, Bo Petterson just focuses on his daughter.
“It’s always just Emily and I, you know? It’s not like a studio of people standing around,” he said. “It’s just always Emily, and she’s very patient with me.”
Strangers from all over the world are giving them hope
In one of their early videos, Bo Petterson mentioned his daughter’s brain injury and how hard things had been for her since moving back home. After that, a slew of advice came in. People from all over the world reached out suggesting different therapies, Emily Petterson said.
“That’s the beauty of it, is it’s kind of this place where regular people on a farm in the middle of nowhere can connect with other people,” she said. “It’s given me a purpose. But it’s also given me a chance to keep trying cures and keep trying treatments.”
The money they make from the videos, the Pettersons said, has helped pay for her treatments, which are expensive out of pocket.
“Nothing has worked so far,” Bo Petterson said. “But we continue to hold out hope that there’s some doctor that’s got some kind of research, that has the magic wand.”
“We feel close, too,” his daughter added. “Science is really rapidly advancing right now. And so, even if the treatment has not been invented yet, it might next month.”
Without the community they’ve built on TikTok, Bo Petterson said, his family would have never known about all of these possibilities. “It’s just been a life changer for us,” he said. And most of all, he loves having his daughter home with him.
“You know, a dad’s not supposed to have a favorite, but she’s always been my favorite,” he said. “And so to have her here and underfoot, you know, and see her every night and every morning, it’s wonderful.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or by dialing 988.
Madeline Mitchell’s role covering women and the caregiving economy at USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.
Reach Madeline at [email protected] and @maddiemitch_ on X.
