How much longer can you put up with bullying when even small children consider suicide?
Jackson Bezzant, seven, was a victim of bullying his entire life, and children mocked him.
He couldn’t even sit down to eat at school without older students calling him “ugly” or “monster.”
Fortunately, one of the teachers informed Jackson’s mother, even though the bullying had to stop much sooner.
When Jackson’s father, Dan, found out what had happened, he couldn’t stop crying.
Jackson was born with Treacher Collins Syndrome, a rare disease that affected the development of bones in his face and rendered him nearly deaf.
Dan Jackson, Jackson’s father, heard terrible things about his son’s appearance from people of all ages.
“Once, we heard a woman pass by and say, ‘Did you see that little boy’s face?'” Dan recalled.
Dan decided to take action after learning what had happened to Jackson at school.
But he didn’t expect such a strong reaction to his Facebook post.
Continue reading to find out why Dan’s words touched so many people’s hearts…
This is Jackson Bezzant, and he’ll be eight years old soon.
Jackson was born with Treacher Collins Syndrome, a condition that affects facial bone development. As a result, his hearing and vision have been compromised, and he now wears a hearing aid.
As you can probably guess, the young boy has already gone through a lot in his short life.
Recently, Jackson’s father, Dan, heard something that made him cry.
One morning at school, while Jackson was in the cafeteria, some older children started bullying him. They called him ‘monster’, and other names.
Dan decided it was enough for him. And wrote a soulful post on Facebook that described the case:
“My heart is in pieces right now.. my soul feels like it’s ripping from my chest.. this beautiful young man, my son Jackson, has to endure a constant barrage of derogatory comments and ignorance like I’ve never witnessed. He is called ugly, freak and monster on a daily basis by his peers at school. He talks about suicide.. he’s not even 8 yet! He says he has no friends and everyone hates him. Kids throw rocks at him and push him, shouting these horrific words.. please please take a minute and imagine if this was your child. Take a minute to educate your children about special needs. Talk to them about compassion and love for our fellow man. His condition is called Treacher Collins. Maybe even look it up. He’s endured horrific surgery and has several more in the coming years. Anyway, I could go on.. but please educate your children. Please.. share this. This shouldn’t be happening.. to anyone.”
Dan did not expect his Facebook post to become viral, but that’s exactly what happened.
Now, children at Jackson’s school changed their behavior towards him. They want to be his friends and protect him from bullies.
Dan mentions that he does not want to blame Jackson’s teachers. Instead, he believes it is the responsibility of parents to raise and teach their children to respect others, including children who are different from them.
“I want my parents to see my post and realize how sad I am.”
“It could be any child, anywhere,” Dan explained. “Please educate your children and inform them that bullying is wrong.”
Dan said his Facebook post helped him and Jackson connect with two other families in their area who also have Treacher Collins Syndrome children. They now intend to meet on a regular basis!
