Marietta native and University of Georgia graduate Brandon Stanton took his wildly popular blog, Humans of New York, on the road for the summer, posting photos and stories from Pakistan and Iran.
One photo received a high-profile comment Thursday. The photo is of a father and son, with the father commenting on how he is raising a humanitarian.
The post has garnered nearly half a million "likes," has been shared more than 30,000 times, and has about 7,000 comments.
But the comment getting all the attention — and so far nearly 118,000 likes — is from President Barack Obama.
"What an inspirational story. One of the most fulfilling things that can happen to you as a parent is to see the values you’ve worked to instill in your kids start to manifest themselves in their actions – and this one really resonated with me. I hope this young man never loses his desire to help others. And I'm going to continue doing whatever I can to make this world a place where he and every young person like him can live up to their full potential. (And if I ever get to meet him, I hope he’ll save me an apricot!) -bo"
Obama isn't the first politician to comment on Humans of New York. Hillary Clinton offered support to a gay child worried about his future. You can read that story here.
Stanton's first visit to Iran was three years ago, but the blog had not taken off at the time, so the posts were not as detailed as they are now, with quotes and stories.
" I always wished that I could return and do a better job telling the stories of ordinary Iranians, and I’m excited to have that opportunity," Stanton says on Facebook.
The stories Stanton shares illustrate how people in Iran and Pakistan face many of the same challenges Americans do: getting married, raising children, making a living.
And some stories bring international attention to local problems.
That isn't the first time Stanton has used his popularity to raise awareness and money.
In January, Stanton stopped 13-year-old Vidal Chastanet and asked who has influenced him. The unexpected answer led to a $1.4 million fundraiser for Mott Hall Bridges Academy in Brownsville, New York.
Stanton released his third book in October: "Humans of New York: Stories." He has also published "Humans of New York" and "Little Humans."
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