After struggling with depression for 10 years, Wendy Adams’ son, Zackery Foxcroft, committed suicide at the age of 17 in 2011. During his short life, he also endured years of bullying.

Today, Adams is living her life to the fullest, and by keeping her son’s memory alive will continue to help others who suffer from mental illness and bullying.

The bullying started when her son was seven years old and while Adams doesn’t believe it caused her son’s depression, she thinks bullying aggravated her son’s illness. “Zackery battled depression for 10 years. I went through everything with him,” Adams says. She arranged counselling and more intensive treatment programs for her son.

Adams works as a nurse at Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie where she sees the effects of bullying and mental illness. She says that when parents hear her story, they will ask her what to look for and what to do so she began working with the Bear Creek Wellness Initiative at a high school in Barrie. The program, which refers teenagers to agencies for help and support, has expanded into other local high schools.

“Parents need to step up when they see their children are being bullied, cutting or other unhealthy behaviours,” she advises, adding that kids today have a lot of stressors in their lives. “Use a simple, open line of communications. It’s not parents hounding kids. It’s parents being there when kids want to talk.”

Adams says her current husband and family have provided a support system that has given her strength to speak out since losing her son. “I’ve been very vocal about the reasons why he died, how he died and I want parents to listen to someone who has gone through it and survived,” Adams says.

Determined to more than just survive, at age 47, Adams is “pushing the limits” by pursuing a lifelong passion:  racing. “I followed it since I was a kid. My dad took me to Barrie Speedway in Oro-Medonte every Saturday while I was growing up.”

After losing her son, Adams decided to leave the bleachers at the racetrack and get behind the steering wheel. “After my son died, I took the attitude that I’m living life to the fullest and push the limits. It’s now time for me to do that. I don’t have any children, so I said, ‘Let’s do it. Let’s have fun.’ I have no worries or no concerns.”

In 2007, she took the stock car driving course and is now hitting the track competitively. “This is my second full season driving. My husband looks after our car. We have a brand new one we’re building for next year.”

She raced at Sunset Speedway in Innisfil, Ontario – her home racetrack – on May 4 and is scheduled to race at Sauble Speedway on June 29. She also plans to run a memorial race in her son’s name August 17, 2013.

Her car, which bears The Pledge and Kids Help Phone logos, can also be seen at events where she can raise awareness among children and parents, such as suicide walks and Let’s Talk through Bell Media.

Adams shares some final words of advice: “I tell parents to hug their children every day and tell them you love them unconditionally because you never know what will happen.”

“See the ability.” This is the message of World Down Syndrome Day on March 21.

Thames Valley District School Board grad and current self-advocate Matthew MacNeil is pictured on a 2013 campaign poster that reads, “It is important to continue to learn.”

A Glendale High School grad, MacNeil now proudly attends college in Peterborough. He is an advocate on the Voices At The Table Advocacy (VATTA) Canadian Down Syndrome team, which is composed of adults with Down syndrome who believe that through their diversity and advocacy efforts, equitable opportunities will be available for all Canadians.

MacNeil’s advocacy efforts include traveling across Canada to present workshops and he writes a blog about bullying and other issues that are relevant to people in general.

In his blog, MacNeil addresses the harmful effects of bullying on people with disabilities and delivers this advice: “If you or someone you know is being bullied you need to do the right thing and tell someone you trust like a parent or teacher.”

As an advocate for himself and others, MacNeil writes, “People should get to know people with disabilities for who they are. You will find out that we are more like each other than we are different.”

World Down Syndrome Day is the international day for raising awareness for people with Down Syndrome. It occurs annually on March 21 and is officially ratified by the United Nations. For more information: http://cdss.ca/network/heroes/world-down-syndrome-day

To see MacNeil’s blog and blogs written by other VATTA members, go to http://cdss.ca/network/vatta.

Southwold Public School (St. Thomas) in Grades 3-6 as part of a classroom project to raise awareness about bullying and being an “upstander.”

Mountsfield Public School: cover to a magazine that was developed by their Grade 7 class.

Oakridge Secondary School

East Williams Memorial Public School

These were three posters created for their “Random Acts of Kindness” campaign.

The student led Safe Schools Committee has put together an assembly  to reach out to the entire school to Dare to be Different and demonstrate that “MCS Stands Tall Caring For All.”.  As part of the assembly the entire school body will be asked to take the (CTV) pledge and eliiminate bullying.

Throughout the next month, our senior students will continue to make morning announcements encouraging our students and staff to work to eliminate bullying.  Constable Bob Sewell, our OPP Community Services Officer, will visit classes to talk about Internet safety and eliminating cyber-bullying.

I live in a small town and go to a small school. I was getting bullied, and decided to make this video to show people the person I am.
Please understand were I’m coming from with this.
I’m posting this because It may help with other teens going through this situation.

-Sierra Watts

 

I’m a grown woman now, and I have a good life, but part of what’s making my life better now is letting go of the past and letting go of the victim mentality, you see… the bullies are human beings too, if they’re lashing out on others then something is seriously wrong with them, and maybe they need help and are in pain. Being subjected to pain or inflicting pain on to others are both painful dilemmas in my opinion. As much as the bullies hurt me, there’s no way I’m going to drag that hurt around.

I gained a lot of positives and strengths from the dark times of getting bullied, and you can too.

Over 4 years ago I had my first meeting with the then principal of Wyevale Central Public school about some disturbing and sometimes dangerous situations involving the bullying of my son Sean.

Since then there have been numerous visits with that principal and the current principal, Jan McMurdo.

I thought the situation was hopeless. Despite the teachers being aware of the triggers, and the bullying students, Sean was still coming home in tears, suffering from migraines, sick on Mondays.

Jan McMurdo immediately saw that there was a problem with that group of kids. Being a small school (@230 kids), these kids all were in the same class together since kindergarten.

Knowing there were issues, Jan implemented anti-bullying programs focused on this age group within her first few weeks of principal at the school.

Unfortunately, the strategies, in my opinion, were more geared towards changing the actions of the one being bullied than the ones who were doing the bullying.

Little did I know, that a couple of years later, that group would come together to build one of the best anti-bullying initiatives I have yet to see.

They have a HELP program run by students for students. HELP stands for Healing Every Little Problem. It encourages kids to speak up and speak out without the intimidation of speaking to an adult.

But most of all this now Grade 7 class has produced a most powerful and empowering video. I know the bullying still happens…on a lesser scale…but they are learning. this is proof. I am proud to know that these kids have made such an effort to stand up and make their school a better place to be!

And it reassures me that my son has a place where he belongs.

Please watch their video:

Kelly McNamara

Take a stand against bullying and visit Fairview Park Mall on Saturday March 2nd between 9:30AM and 6:00PM.

On this one day only we invite you to enjoy a musical performance, a children’s book reading, a puppet show, demonstrations, resources &and advice courtesy of the below community groups who put The Pledge in to action everyday!
(Full details will be updated closer to the event date)

When I was young I had a lazy eye, one of my biggest insecurities, & boy did no one let me forget about it. Every day in school people would make fun of me for it, until eventually I switched schools and a majority of the bullying stopped.

After high school started things were definitely looking up, I went to one school with great grades for grade 9 and 10 & moved to another school for 11 & had horrible grades. Biggest mistake of my life. I didn’t know anyone, so it was like “pick on the new girl” every day, I will admit, it was a school where people had money, & I had come from a school where I was one of the kids that had a lot; which doesn’t say much… but I was always bullied about my hair, my shoes & everything else. I ended up getting into the habit of skipping school cause I was afraid to face people… and would go to my boyfriends house who is graduated at this point.

I ended up getting pregnant just shy of 17 and that’s when stuff really started getting bad. My principle was looking for every reason to suspend me constantly, people I thought were my friends were sending people after me to jump me, I didn’t know what to do, so I left, didn’t finish high school.

My daughter is now 1 years old, & I went back to school, day 2 of being in school, some girl was threatening me & I didn’t even know who she was. I wasn’t going to deal with it so I just left again… still haven’t went back.

Date: February 16, 2013

City: Calgary, Alberta

Details: This event is in partnership with “Calgary 2012, Cultural Capital of Canada, Grassroots Inspired Grants.” This event is devoted to promoting greater youth involvement through social activities and anti bullying awareness.  The target group are youth between the ages of approximately 12-18 years of age.

This event is a dance fundraiser to help support the Kids Help Phone (Calgary) organization and the Calgary Distress Centre- ConnecTeen program. This is a FREE event for ALL ATTENDEES! However, ANY amount of monetary donation is welcome and youth and the general public are encouraged to donate funds to help the noted above community organizations.

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