10/31/16
Summary ;
The relentless bullying became too much to handle for an 11-year-old girl with a "crooked" smile, her mother said. At 3 years old, Bethany Thompson was diagnosed with a brain tumor and battled through radiation treatments. Though cancer-free since 2008, treatment caused nerve damage that changed Bethany's smile. That, and her curly hair, led to bullying, said Bethany's mother, Wendy Feucht. Feucht said after a particularly tough Wednesday with bullies, Bethany told her best friend she couldn't take it anymore, and was going to take her own life.The Cable, Ohio, sixth grader killed herself that afternoon, October 19. Her friend's father called Bethany's mom, but it was too late. Bethany found a gun kept in the house, and shot herself one time, police said. Feucht said Bethany would have had to go searching for a weapon, as she and her husband never told their children where they were and kept the guns out of sight. Her family and friends remember Bethany as generous and loving, and full of life. She loved swimming and animals and listening to music. The school tried to investigate. The community has rallied around Bethany's family. Nearly 400 people flocked to the North Lewisburg United Methodist Church on Sunday evening for a fundraiser to cover funeral costs. The raffle dinner event raised over $5,500, in addition to $2,000 offered in donations, said Ashley Cozad, a family friend who organized the event. The family plans to use the remaining funds to set up a scholarship fund in Bethany's name and to raise anti-bullying awareness. They hope to be a part of movement, and that Bethany's memory will live on as a reminder of the importance of kindness and a zero-tolerance for bullying. "If this were the last life, that her death could stop it, she would be thrilled," Feucht said.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/31/health/cancer-survivor-bully-trnd/
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