Teachers Receive Text From Suicidal Student More Than 1,000 Miles Away & Rush To Save Her.

Apr 15, 2019 by apost team

Suicide is a growing problem in the United States as bullying has gotten out of hand. Recent studies estimate that Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in the world for those aged 15-24 years. To reduce suicide rates and better respond to bullying, schools have implemented a number of changes, ranging from zero tolerance policies to smartphone apps that allow students to anonymously report bullying. Ashely Elementary School in Frisco, Texas uses one such app called Stop It. One day, a group of teachers got a message from Stop It that helped them save a student’s life.

School administrators Kim Frankson, Jess Johnson, and Laurie Ortel started their day as usual at Ashely Elementary. During a meeting, Johnson, who is the school’s assistant principal, got a message in Stop It from a girl saying that she was being picked on in school. The situation turned dire when the girl said that she was contemplating suicide. Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, Johnson, Frankson, and Ortel did everything they could to help the child. Asking for her name, the trio were perplexed to discover that she didn’t even go to Ashley Elementary. Asking further questions to the troubled girl, the three learned that she lived over a thousand miles away in Waynesboro, Virginia.

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The situation was confusing and hectic. Desperate to help the child, they contacted the police in Virginia as they kept the girl talking on the app. The three were again shocked to learn that the girl had taken pills as her responses became few and far between. Just as the anxiety became overwhelming, police in Waynesboro arrived at the child’s house. The girl answered the door but appeared to be very distressed. Taken to a local hospital, the girl is now safe.

Upon hearing that the girl was okay, Johnson, Frankson, and Ortel were able to breathe a sigh of relief. For Ortel, the school’s counselor, the incident proves how destructive bullying can be and why everyone should be kind to one another. The incident also proves that no matter where you are, if you ask for help, someone will always be there to lend you a hand and get you back on the right path.

What do you think about this story? Have you ever experienced bullying yourself? How do you think schools should respond to bullying? Let us know in the comments and be sure to pass this article along to others to spread awareness!