Young Girl Brings Clothes & Shoes to Bullied Classmate: 'I Was Trying So Hard Not To Cry'
The kindness of a friend is worth everything. When a 7th grader from Phoenix showed love toward a friend in need, she went above and beyond with a special surprise.
Haley Olson needed a best friend. One of seven children, the young girl doesn’t always have the newest and coolest things.
Sadly, her time Atkinson Middle School has been difficult. Olson was the target of bullies who made fun of her for not wearing “trendy clothes.”
“I always came home crying and stuff to my parents saying how I didn’t want to go to school anymore, I wanted to be home schooled,” Olson told FOX 10 Phoenix.
One girl changed everything for her. Mariah Andrew befriended Olson and soon saw what the bullying was doing to the poor girl.
Valley girl helps bullying victim, act of kindness inspires others.https://t.co/ijZTzgkXU3 pic.twitter.com/5m1QlP0HFj
— FOX 10 Phoenix (@FOX10Phoenix) February 10, 2019
So, Andrew decided she wouldn’t stand by any longer and allow Olson to be a victim. She asked Olson for her sizes, then went home and gathered some things for a surprise.
Andrew put together a gift of clothes, shoes and a backpack. “I was jumping all over the place screaming how happy I was,” Olson said.
Because of Andrew’s kindness, others have been inspired to reach out to Olson as well. Sonoran Smile Orthodontics donated free dental work, according to FOX 10.
“It made me feel happy at first and the day that I gave it to her, I was trying so hard not to cry,” Andrew shared.
Andrew is thankful to have Olson by her side. “Being there whenever I needed her like her being a good friend when times were hard at school,” she said.
According to Stop Bullying Now, “60% of middle school students say that they have been bullied,” and “160,000 students stay home from school every day due to bullying.”
Those numbers are too high. We need more young people like Mariah Andrew to be the difference — to make a difference for other students.
We as parents need to teach our children to set an example. Extending kindness through friendship and inclusion can make all the difference.
And maybe, just maybe, those bullies will notice that kindness and want to spread a little love too. You never know what a little love might do to change the world.
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