Hi everyone, this is my second blog and this picture was a few days after a car accident so I am looking rough. I would like to focus on bullying in school and how to be part of the solution by advocating against bullying. From pre-k to college this was an everyday struggle for me and my family because they suffered too. When I was younger I did not know why they were staring at me and hurt to hear them talking about me. No one picked me to be on their team at recess or sat with me at lunch. I began to isolate myself from the hurt, I ate my lunch in the hallway, or complained I did not feel good during gym and I never left the house to play outside with the other kids. As I got older my isolation became worse, I didn’t even want to go to school, became dressed and wondered if I would ever have a normal life like the other kids I watched everyday.

At some point I snapped and with the intervention I received I became a survivor of the bullying, and advocate for anyone who was being isolated from others. I was part of an anti-bullying support group in high school, we invited anyone eating alone to join us and a poster campaign to stop bullying. When I began college I thought my life was going to be different, that bullying was just a k-12 grade problem. Be prepared to experience some of the same thing, I was shocked, saddened and angry that anyone who is different must again endure this behavior from others. I already had been part of TRIO at the college who have been a great support group for me and I asked them what can be done to stop bullying on their campus and began a bullying campaign at college. I may never be able to “fit in” like everyone else because of my moebius syndrome but I do not have to accept being less of a person because of it. Find your strength by advocating and create a great support system for yourself, we are who we are and be proud of it. I would like to hear your story and be a friend.