Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
It is an older problem as a grandparent: how can you keep up with your grandchildren as they get older as they move as their lives change?
The answer, at least for these three grandma, has been easy – snapchat.
Sure, the photo -centric app on social media is popular with young people. But not just Young people, who know 72-year-old Sherry Specht well.
“I’m the cool grandmother,” she tells people in an interview with her grandson, Morgan Specht, 24, who calls Sherry his “best friend.”
Sherry, Bunny Fox and Linda Balzer have all exchanged posts (or snaps) with their young family members, every day, for almost eight years or longer. They have shared everything from weather reports and selfies to updates on their grandchildren’s love life, and they don’t stop now.
The courtesy of Delainee Tomkins
Tanner Fox, 20, does not need a weather app because his 82-year-old grandmother, Bunny, sends him a picture of the thermometer in her Pennsylvania home at 6 o’clock to start her daily chats. (“Grandparents do not want to disturb their children, but they would like to know what is happening,” Bunny says.)
For Balzer, 76, native of Vancouver, Canada, grandchildren help Delainee Tomkin’s cordial messages her through treatment for ovarian cancer five years ago.
“It was just wonderful to have her every day, send me a note,” Balzer tells People about her 3,043-day Snapchat line with her 23-year-old grandchild. “It just made my heart happy.”
The courtesy of Delainee Tomkins
When Balzer is not busy with her local Rotary Club, she likes to see what her granddaughter Delainee, a server and cheerleader, is up to.
The couple has replaced messages and photos for several years, which allows Balzer to accompany Delainee as she travels all over the world with Vancouver All Stars, a competing gym. Delainee last participated in a national championship in Dallas.
“They win a lot,” says the proud grandmother, who was nicknamed “Jammie” year ago. “She went to Chile to cheer, and it was exciting to see all these photos.”
Now healthy after her cancer diagnosis, Balzer likes to hike every day. During her treatments, which began after she learned the “shocking” news in 2020, her grandson was by her side.
That Christmas, the Delainee Balzer letter wrote to encourage her. Delainee says she supplemented the letters with a photo or fun update about her day – including her love life.
Balzer was one of the first to know when Delainee began to meet his boyfriend. “She snapchats me and she’s like,“ So who do you meet? “” Delainee is reminiscent of. (“He just loves her,” says Balzer about the young man. “They are young, but it’s really wonderful.”)
The courtesy of Delainee Tomkins
Boys aside, cheerleader says that their more than 3,000 days line on the app has only made them “stronger.”
“Of course, with mental health, you can’t feel 100% all the time,” says Delainee. “So you can see the emotions through these snaps that we send each other.”
Her Jammie feels a similar connection.
“I’m just so blessed that Delainee would spend even that moment every day to send me one,“ Hi, how are you? “” Says Balzer. “She’s my girl.”
With permission of Morgan Specht; With the state of Tanner Fox
With the state of Tanner Fox
Although Bunny did not know how to use Snapchat when she first got her tablet, now “she knows more than me,” says grandson Tanner.
About eight years ago, the second at Pennsylvania State University was only 12 years old when he started messages with his grandmother, which has helped them to keep in touch since Tanner lives almost two hours from home.
Part of that habit is that Bunny sends a picture of her thermostat every morning after she has a cup of coffee. She just checks in, of course.
“Our weather in Pennsylvania is bad, so I usually make sure he knows how cold or how hot it is out,” she says. “So he makes sure he dresses warmly.”
While Tanner may not always listen to his grandmother’s suggestion, he loves to keep in touch. She does too.
“I look forward to him snapping every day,” Bunny says. Once she has answered, she thinks, “Okay, now my day is canceled.”
The message app also helps Bunny feel that she is linked to the rest of the family on their trips abroad now that she no longer likes to travel.
It was through Snapchat that relatives warned of potential problems while they left in the Dominican Republic 2023: Tanner and his family realized that Bunny had been inactive on the app for a couple of hours, which was unusual.
When they couldn’t reach her over the phone, Tanner was worried.
With the state of Tanner Fox
“I called my other grandmother to get into her house to see if she was lying on the ground,” Tanner recalls. Fortunately, Bunny was just back home after she went to a restaurant with other family members.
“I came back and my wife’s son sat on the porch,” recalls Bunny. “He says:“ Where have you been? ”
Even when she is safe at home, Tanner likes to hear from her grandmother so that they can continue their Snapchat routine.
Tanner even drove to his house at 1 in the morning when he thought their streak (now 2,862 days and count) would resign. “I’m like, this can’t stop like this,” he says.
With the state of Morgan Specht
Morgan and Sherry Specht are severely dedicated to Philadelphia Eagles – their home team – and each other.
“She has been my best friend from the day she was born,” says Sherry about Morgan, an acquisition analyst at a real estate fund.
It was Sherry’s idea to start snap chatting nine years ago, and they continue to share moments every day. One of the last highlights was 2025 Super BowlWhere the Eagles dominated Kansas City Chiefs and won by 18 points.
“I live right on Parkvägen, so the parade went past my apartment,” says Morgan to look at the team celebrating processionIncluding an observation of one of Eagles famous back slopes that she soon shared with her grandmother. “She got some pictures of Saquon Barkley on the parade bus – I had to keep her in the loop. I knew she loves the birds. ”
Never miss a story – register for People’s free daily newsletters Keeping up to date on the best of what people have to offer, from celebrity news to compelling stories of human interest.
With the state of Morgan Specht
Sherry likes to read, but getting snaps from Morgan is the highlight of her day. Morgan will send her updates while traveling (selfies in front of Taj Mahal, shot of the pyramids in Giza) or out in the city with her friends.
In return, Sherry prefers sending pictures – and is not afraid to use filters. She says she likes to soften her wrinkles and is a fan of Bitmojis.
When it comes to tea, Sherry gets the most.
“She is always my highest and biggest supporter,” says Morgan. “So, what better friend do you want? I always just want to tell her everything first. ”
Sherry expressed his approval for Morgan’s new boyfriend. But when a person in Morgan’s life does something problematic, Sherry stands by his grandchild.
“When we start hating one of the boys, she also knows to follow them on Instagram,” jokes Morgan. “She knows all the drama, everything.”
Sherry agrees. “What happens between me and her stays with me and her,” she says. “We call it the grandparents of the grandparents. I back up her no matter what she says. “