色多多

Autumn, a 10-year-old student at Mountain View Elementary School in 色多多 County, died by suicide March 21. Since her death, her family has been trying to spread her story to raise awareness about bullying and to call for change, both locally and nationally.

Booths for face painting, bracelet making and spreading information about bullying and mental health were set up in the Berglund Center鈥檚 lobby. The service took place in the Berglund Performing Arts Theatre.

Mark Bushman, Autumn鈥檚 dad, said that his daughter was a giver. She loved making little handmade gifts, like bracelets, and would 鈥渞adiate with joy鈥� when she could give someone a gift, he said. He brought some bracelets that she鈥檇 made, along with other objects from her room like Polaroid pictures she鈥檇 taken. He also brought the card he gave her for Valentine鈥檚 Day this year, which she鈥檇 kept in her drawer.

鈥淎utumn鈥檚 favorite thing to do, probably first and foremost, was to give,鈥� he said. 鈥淕ive bracelets, give compliments, give hugs. She wanted you to know you were loved and cared about. She wanted you to remember that.鈥�

Mark Bushman also reflected on Autumn鈥檚 confidence and faith. Through this situation, he said that he has gathered strength from his faith.

鈥淎utumn knew who she was,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he knew that God does not make mistakes, that she was beautiful and unique, as we all are.鈥�

Mark Bushman closed by reading 鈥淎 Child of Mine,鈥� a poem by Edgar Albert Guest that someone from Michigan sent to Autumn鈥檚 family.

Autumn鈥檚 mother, Summer Bushman, As of Sunday, it had raised $7,020 of its $10,000 goal.

鈥淪he took her own life in my home and I鈥檓 in desperate need of a fresh start for my family. Please help me raise funds in order to move and make new memories,鈥� Summer Bushman wrote in the fundraiser description.

Kathleen Thorell, executive director of spoke during Autumn鈥檚 Celebration of Life about mental health and suicide prevention. Tudor House is a local nonprofit focusing on suicide prevention, education and support.

Thorell brought three members of the along to answer a few questions about mental health among adolescents. Tudor House has 24 teen ambassadors across 14 high schools in the 色多多 Valley, all trained to provide peer-to-peer support.

鈥淭udor House has helped me become so much more aware of the people in my community that are here and want to support me,鈥� Landrie Bell, a student at Salem High School, said.

People can text or call 988 to connect with the suicide and crisis lifeline, but people don鈥檛 have to be in immediate danger to utilize it, Thorell said. Additionally, the lifeline is meant to be used by anyone who is trying to support someone who is struggling.

The biggest myth Thorell often hears is that talking about suicide will put the idea in someone鈥檚 head and 鈥渟omehow make it happen,鈥� she said. In reality, research shows that talking about suicide with someone who may be considering it can bring them relief and hope, she said.

鈥淚f they are thinking about it, the research shows that they feel relief, they feel comfort, that someone is aware of them, that someone sees them, and someone cares enough to ask that really difficult question,鈥� Thorell said. 鈥淚f they aren鈥檛 thinking about it, all those things still apply.鈥�

Thomas McCracken, senior pastor of CommUNITY Church in Salem, was invited to speak at the event. As an educator, and as someone who was bullied as a child, he鈥檚 become passionate about the issue.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 see another kid suffer, hurt themselves or die 鈥� I sort of feel like this is my watch now,鈥� McCracken said in an interview on Tuesday. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 go through all that I went through, experientially or educationally, to sit on the sidelines for this to happen ever again.鈥�

In 2022, McCracken received his doctorate in education from Liberty University. He used a local school as a case study for his dissertation, which focused on peer intervention in bullying incidents.

鈥淲e know that 60% of bullying incidents would stop within 10 seconds if someone just spoke up and said 鈥榮top,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淧eer intervention is the key, and we鈥檙e not really doing that.鈥�

While researching, McCracken said he found that nationwide, an estimated 160,000 students stay out of school each day because they鈥檙e being bullied. Autumn was one of those students, her parents said.

Educators and other staff are well-intentioned, but the issue lies in a disconnect between policy and practice in schools, McCracken said.

During an emotional meeting Thursday, the 色多多 County School Board unanimously voted to approve its bullying policy. Minor changes, like correcting a grammatical error, were made to the policy.

鈥淚鈥檓 starting to get frustrated and angry that we鈥檙e going in the same circles, seeing the same results, and we鈥檙e not seeing change and reform in our policy and in our practice,鈥� McCracken said Tuesday.

Jamie Soltis, deputy superintendent for 色多多 County Public Schools, said during the meeting Thursday that the policy can be changed at any time. He encouraged parents to

In order to be able to use a local school for his research, McCracken agreed to keep his dissertation private. Now, however, he hopes the school system will allow him to make it public if he redacts the school鈥檚 name. He feels like the data he collected isn鈥檛 doing anyone any good if they can鈥檛 see it.

鈥淚 feel like I have a fire hose, and houses are burning down all around me, and I鈥檓 not allowed to turn the hose on,鈥� he said.

Like Autumn鈥檚 family, McCracken hopes that some good can come out of this tragedy. There鈥檚 currently no federal law that directly addresses bullying, but he鈥檚 working with an attorney and a senator in the hopes to change that, he said.

鈥淚 do not want this to be a flash in the pan moment where everybody鈥檚 emotional, everybody鈥檚 upset, everybody鈥檚 angry, and then one year from now, we鈥檙e back to discussing SOLs.鈥�

Editor’s note: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at