Mom Notices Something 'Off' With Son, Finds Out Schoolmates Bullied Him Into Depression

Nov 08, 2019

The tragic consequences of bullying cannot be denied.

Regardless of if the bullying is physical in nature or emotional, the toll that it can take on a person is significant and heart-breaking. Victims of bullying often report anxiety, depression, and other issues that negatively affect their quality of life.

One boy named Liam was sadly bullied in 7th grade and it led to him having to be hospitalized with a feeding tube as his family told Good Morning America. 

Liam's mother, Deirdre Fell-O’Brien, first became suspicious when her generally happy son began losing interest in the things that he loved. He even told his mom that he did not want his cell phone any longer.

After that, he stopped hanging out with his friends and playing soccer. What was most alarming was that Liam stopped eating as much. When she confronted her son about the change in his behavior, he broke down crying as he explained to his mother how his soccer teammates had been bullying him.

Liam's mother, Deirdre Fell-O'Brien, wrote about her son's experience in a blog for Northwell.

"A group of boys had decided that my son “sucked” and didn’t believe he should have made the soccer team. There were pushes and kicks. They used horrible language and called him nasty words. They told him he was nothing. That he should kill himself. They were merciless in their cruelty. I asked how often they did this to him. He looked me in the eyes and said, “Every day, Mom.”

One of the symptoms of Liam's depression was his lack of appetite. It got so bad that the poor boy had to be hospitalized so that he could get the nutrients that he needed through a feeding tube.

Deirdre said Liam's school and the parents of the bullies refused to take any accountability or responsibility. So she went to social media to spread Liam's story and to her amazement, her post went viral. Liam received an unprecedented amount of support from people from all over the world. The hashtag #WeStandWithLiam soon became trending and people from everywhere were reaching out to show their support. 

After receiving in-patient treatment for 10 weeks, Liam felt well enough to go home and resume his life. He was even able to return to school and begin playing soccer again.

You can watch Liam's story in the video below:

There is no doubt that the harsh effects of bullying need to be understood. These sweet pictures of Liam perfectly demonstrate the serious consequences of bullying. Be sure to spread these photos so that everyone else can understand what a serious issue that bullying has become.

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation by your doctor. Your health is important to us!