Vile school bullies drove vulnerable Vermont girl,14, to suicide by making fun of her mother
A Vermont teen was relentlessly harassed by bullies at school, to the point where she committed suicide.
Isabelle Vezina-Dykema, 14, of Winooski near Burlington, attended Mill School, an alternative high school for students with complex needs, but she was the victim of constant bullying.
The teenager was in her first year at the school and was bullied both in person and through text messages that ridiculed both her appearance and that of her mother, who has health problems.
Her mother, Heather Miller, told how on the day of Isabelle’s suicide she came home from school extremely sad and decided to give her some time to relax, but unbeknownst to her the bullying had reached a breaking point.
Isabelle Vezina-Dykema, 14, right, of Winooski near Burlington, is seen next to her mother, Heather Miller, left. Isabelle took her own life after experiencing constant bullying in person and via text message
The 14-year-old from Winooski near Burlington attended Mill School, an alternative high school for students with complex needs, but she was the victim of constant bullying
“I thought I was doing the right thing, but in 35 minutes our whole lives changed,” Miller said WCAXwho describes her as ‘feisty, so outgoing’ [and someone who] loved to dance.
“She was excited about the school year, excited about being a freshman. “I’m finally in high school, I’m not going to let things bother me, I’m going to make it.”
Her mother wrote on Facebook how she takes comfort in the fact that her daughter’s organs could be transplanted.
‘She saved seven lives and helped a child regain her sight. Her brain was received by autism research, which is a cause near and dear to us,” Miller wrote.
Mother, Heather Miller, said Isabelle’s bullies made fun of her mother’s appearance
The teen was in her first year at the school and was bullied both in person and via text message
The Mill School is investigating the claims of bullying and has not elaborated on the claims
Isabelle’s ashes are now in an urn on top of a cupboard in the living room of the family home
Meanwhile, The Mill School is investigating the claims of bullying but is not commenting further on the allegations.
“We, at Mill School, are devastated by the loss of one of our students. We are working with the appropriate agencies and continue to provide counseling,” officials said in a statement.
Teen suicides appear to be a growing problem in Vermont, with at least one death among 14- to 14-year-olds every year since 2019.
“Our adolescents not only feel things in extremes, they also feel like this is now going to be forever. They may have very strong emotions and feel trapped,” says Matt Wolf, a veteran Community Organizer with the nonprofit Vermont Afterschool. CBS3.
Christ Allen, left, of the Vermont Department of Mental Health says at least a third of high school students experience poor mental health. Matt Wolf, right, a veteran Community Organizer, says teens experience very strong emotions
The Vermont Department of Mental Health says at least one-third of high school students experience poor mental health.
“That worries me because it means that almost half of high school students feel like they don’t matter,” said Chris Allen of VDMH.
“Our bullies are calling for help or screaming for help the only way they know how. “I think if we address them in a more therapeutic way, more in a caring way rather than a punitive way, we might be able to do something to reduce bullying,” Allen said.