A mother from Brisbane, Australia is calling on parents and schools to teach children about disability awareness after a bullying incident left her 9-year-old in tears, saying he wants to die.
The mother, Yarraka Bayles, shared the heartbreaking video on the social media Facebook and it shows her son Quaden crying after school.
From the video, we learn that the boy was born with Achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism.
The mother could also be heard saying in the background that after she picked up her son from school, she witnessed a bullying incident and called the principal.
She wants parents, educators, and teachers to know that this is the effect of bullying and that this is what bullying does.
The mother saw a peer of the boy patting him on the head like he’s a puppy and referring to his height.
Why Did the Mother Share this Video?
The main goal of the mother when she shared the video is to show how common bullying is and to point out that her son has tried suicide several times.
She says she doesn’t blame the school or the students; rather than assigning blame, she wants to emphasize the need of doing more and teaching our children about disabilities.
After being shared earlier this week, the video has quickly gone viral with more than 7 million views and thousands of shares.
Local Athletes & Celebrities Supporting Quaden
The video reached some local athletes and celebrities too.
One of them is the Australian professional rugby league football player Latrell Mitchen who met with the boy and took a photo together.
The mother has pulled the boy from school since the incident and she’s considering homeschooling.
The boy was very uncomfortable, but he was good at trying to shrug things off because he doesn’t want others to know how much it affects him, says the mother.
Although the boy is mostly strong and confident, there are times like this when he falls into pieces. The mother was broken and felt helpless.
The mother also runs Stand Tall 4 Dwarfism and says that the boy tried suicide three years ago after the passing of his granddad and several times after.
She explains that it’s the bullying, name calling, and pointing out his height that have led to the suicidal thoughts in a child who’s had enough from it when he goes to school or in public.
We Need to Grow Strong Together & Show Respect for Children with Disabilities
Bayles feels like the education system has failed at this.
It’s important to keep children with disabilities safe as much as we can and increasing the awareness about differences and disabilities is pivotal.
The mother faced backlash for sharing the video and even thought about removing it; however, she’s now firm that she wants people to see the effect of bullying on her son and adds that if she doesn’t stand up for him, who will?
Teuila Blakely, New Zealand actress praised the photo of the rugby player and the boy and said that it’s amazing they stood up to bullying and gave the boy special honor.
She added that life is for the loving and that everyone knows how she feels about bullying people, whether big or small- they belong to the rubbish!
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