REST IN PEACE BETHANY THOMPSON
Bethany with her parents, Wendy Feucht and Paul Thompson, at the Relay for Life. Nerve damage from cancer treatment affected Bethany’s smile.
At 3 years old Bethany Thompson was diagnosed with a brain tumor and battled through radiation treatments.
Though cancer free since 2008, surgical treatment caused nerve damage that changed Bethany's smile.
That, and her curly hair, led to bullying, said Bethany's mother, Wendy Feucht.
This precious,11 year old brave child was bullied by cowardly students in her school because she had a different type of smile and had curly hair.
Not very significant things to bully someone about, making fun of her in the cruelest ways.
Bethany killed herself earlier this month because the bullies would not stop harassing her.
I can't even begin to wrap my hands around this senseless horrific tragedy.
This defies any sense of humanity on the part of those who bullied her, and the usual disgustingly familiar defensive, meaningless statement from school officials who did nothing to protect this child.
Bethany at 3 years old survives a brain tumor but her nerve is damaged by the surgery that saves her life, that nerve controls the way she smiles.
Her hair is a beautiful curly style.
All of this is cosmetic, superficial, yet she becomes a magnet for the slime balls who decide that she is "different" and they endlessly bully her.
No-one, not the students, not the school officials who all knew she was being tortured by the bullies, none of them recognized her for the courage to have won her battle against a brain tumor, and her strength in fighting back against the bullies.
No-one supported her, except her family and a few friends.
The relentless bullying became too much to handle for this 11-year-old girl with a "crooked" smile, her mother said.
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.
Outside Triad Middle School, Bethany Thompson hopped on the school bus Oct. 19, 2016 with a consuming darkness shared only with her friend.
“She told her she loved her and that she was her best friend forever, but that she was going to kill herself when she got home,” said Wendy Feucht, 34, Bethany’s mother.
The short trip to her home in Cable in rural Champaign County would be the 11-year-old’s last.
Shortly after stepping off the bus, instead of playing with her cats and dogs or visiting with her pet snakes, she went to the back porch and shot herself
Her friend's father called Bethany's mom, but it was too late. Bethany found one of the two guns kept in the house, and shot herself just minutes after getting home. Her stepfather was asleep in another room.
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 friend's father called Bethany's mom, but it was too late. Bethany found one of the two guns kept in the house, and shot herself just minutes after getting home. Her stepfather was asleep in another room.
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.
"There's a piece missing, I've had this constant in my life for 12 years and now it's gone," Feucht said. "Nothing's going to be able to fill that hole."
"She was my princess, that's my baby girl. Life revolved around her for me," said Bethany's dad, Paul Thompson.
Her family and friends remember Bethany as generous and loving, and full of life. She loved swimming and animals and listening to music.
School investigated the problem
Triad Middle School was aware of the bullying problem, Feucht said. She had talked to the principal as recently as the Monday before Bethany's death. The principal told her he was investigating, Fuecht said.
"Something has to change, something is broken in the system and there are lots of different ways that this could have been handled," she said.
In hindsight, Fuecht said she didn't get mad enough; to parents she said, "Call them, call them every day if you have to and eventually they'll be tired of hearing from you and actually do something."
Triad School District Superintendent Chris Piper confirmed the school was aware of the bullying.
"Last school year, district officials investigated a complaint raised by the student and appropriately resolved the same. As many school districts across the country are currently doing, the Triad Local School District is undertaking efforts to bolster anti-harassment and bullying training for both students and staff," Piper said in a statement."
Bethany suffered overwhelming emotional pain from the mouths of the bullies who made her so miserable that killing herself was the only way out of this cruel life that she could think of.
Try to imagine how much desperation and hurt this 11 year old child was feeling to take her own life.
Yet there is no accountability by Mr. Piper for the schools failure to protect this child, just worthless bullshit, not a human feeling, no remorse in his entire statement.
Bethany suffered overwhelming emotional pain from the mouths of the bullies who made her so miserable that killing herself was the only way out of this cruel life that she could think of.
Try to imagine how much desperation and hurt this 11 year old child was feeling to take her own life.
Yet there is no accountability by Mr. Piper for the schools failure to protect this child, just worthless bullshit, not a human feeling, no remorse in his entire statement.
Bethany studied in the Triad school system her whole life, so while her family considered transferring Bethany, her mom thought it safer to stay in a school where everyone knew her story.
Bethany saw a counselor to help her find coping mechanisms and deal with her struggles with self-esteem, Fuecht said.
Having the support of friends wasn't enough to keep the bullying away, however, and some boys in her class were known to bully Bethany and others regularly, Feucht said.
Bethany and her friend went to administrators with anti-bullying posters on Bethany's last day at school, and were of course told they couldn't be used, Feucht said.
Hmmm.....Bullying was tolerated by school officials but empowering Bethany & her friend to peacefully fight back with carrying anti-bullying signs were not allowed, it just might raise awareness or worse, call attention that there is a serious problem in the community, at that school not being addressed.
Hmmm.....Bullying was tolerated by school officials but empowering Bethany & her friend to peacefully fight back with carrying anti-bullying signs were not allowed, it just might raise awareness or worse, call attention that there is a serious problem in the community, at that school not being addressed.
A community of support
The community has rallied around Bethany's family.
Nearly 400 people flocked to the North Lewisburg United Methodist Church for a fundraiser to cover funeral costs.
The family plans to use the remaining funds to set up a scholarship fund in Bethany's name and to raise anti-bullying awareness.
As the family tries to move on with a positive memory of Bethany, Feucht wants others to learn from their experience and identify with her daughter's struggles. "I am Bethany. Anyone who's been picked on, they've been Bethany."
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.
Sad to say Bethany Thompson will not be the last child to kill them self because of bullies.
Bullies are not born that way, they learn to disrespect others with vile cruelty.
Where do these bullies come from?
Where are the parents of these bullies in their lives & upbringing about what their children are doing?
Where are the parents of the other students who see this happening?
Where are the other students who are not bullies but remain silent & do nothing.
What a truly sick world we live in when so many of these innocent children take their own lives because of bullies who kill them with cruelty, it just keeps repeating itself over & over.
No one seems to care about our children and a human life of a victim is worthless to those who kill and those who are supposed to protect.
As a society we are beyond help & have crossed into a jungle of animals preying on others.