Social-Media Exposure Creates Wave Of Business For 'Special Sparkle' Artist
(CBS) -- All she wanted was for someone to believe in her. Now, a Naperville woman with Down Syndrome gets that -- and more -- thanks to the generosity of a viral video star.
CBS 2's Sandra Torres reports.
For 25-year-old Kelly Neville, designing and selling her own jewelry is a dream.
"Fashion is my passion," she says.
It's a dream she began in 2010. She had a hard time finding a job after high school.
"It became, 'Well, this is something we could do to keep her busy, really. That was the goal," Kelly's mother, Karen Neville, says.
They only sold 32 pieces of jewelry last year.
Then this happened: Chris Ulmer, a Florida teacher who became known for an inspirational viral video in 2015, visited her on July 17 in Naperville.
Ulmer interviewed Kelly and shared her story on his Facebook page.
She's one of 600 individuals with disabilities he has featured on his online platform.
"The goal is just to show our similarities," Ulmer says.
The video with Kelly has almost two million views on Facebook. Within hours, her jewelry sold out.
"We had 332 orders in 10 hours," Karen Neville says.
While there's more work to be done, Kelly is thankful someone believed in her.
"It made me feel honored and proud of what I do," she says.
Ulmer says he's interviewed 20 individuals in the Chicago area.
With 1.5 million Facebook followers, you can imagine the impact he's making.
Kelly sells jewelry through a website, Special Sparkle.