Tayla Pearson’s fight to tackle bullying that led to brother’s suicide
SEVENTEEN-year-old Tayla Pearson is on a mission to tackle the devastating scourge of bullying.
The
aspiring Brisbane-based model’s world fell apart last year when her
beloved younger brother Kodi, 14, took his life after suffering from
bullying, both online and at school.VIDEO MESSAGE from Tayla
“We were like best friends, we were always together,” Tayla told The Courier-Mail.
“The experience has changed me, it has made me think about all the little things people do to others. If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it at all,” she said.
Both Tayla, who completed Year 12 last year, and Kodi, who was in Year 9, attended St Thomas Moore College in Sunnybank.
She said that some days he would fake being sick to try to avoid school, but even when he missed class, the torment would follow him home online. “Not only was he receiving grief in school, he wasn’t able to escape from it at home either,” she said.
The Courier-Mail has been unable to reach the school for comment.
Tayla is now working with a number of schools, including Ipswich Grammar, to help teach teenagers about the tragic consequences of bullying.
She
hopes that by sharing her experience and speaking candidly about the
loss of her brother, other high school students will think twice before
bullying.
Tayla
is also using a national model search – the Australian Supermodel of
the Year competition, to be held this month in Bali – as a platform to
raise awareness about youth mental health.“Having that exposure behind you means you have the opportunity to get the message out there more,” she said.
Source: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/tayla-pearsons-fight-to-tackle-bullying-that-led-to-brothers-suicide/news-story/15a8613491b10ea3e90edda1cc6ba9a7
