Monday, February 3, 2014

For Michael, The Little Brony

This is 11-year-old Michael Morones:


Michael recently attempted suicide due to the teasing he received for being a fan of the show My Little Pony - aka, a brony. Michael's suicide attempt was halted, but resulted in severe brain damage. He is currently in the hospital's ICU, and has yet to "fully awaken."

If you're still reeling from all the horrors in those few sentences, rest assured, so am I. As someone on Facebook pointed out last night, "An 11-year-old shouldn't even know what suicide is!" And to be driven to such desperation over bullying, and bullying over a TV show?

My heart is sick with grief.


Carrie Goldman, who many of you will remember as "Star Wars Katie's mom," has written up an excellent, informative, and absolutely heart-shattering article on Michael here. Bring tissues. Because in addition to the tragedy, Carrie's also covers the way the geek and brony community is coming together to support Michael's family. Here's a snippet:

"The outpouring of support from the Bronies community has astonished the family. Suttle [Michael's stepdad] left a message for Andrea Libman, who does the voice of Pinkie Pie, asking if she might send a message of support to Michael. Libman was in South Australia on vacation, and she found a way to record a personal message for Suttle to play for Michael. In addition, she got every member of the cast to record individual messages for the boy. 

“When we play the My Little Pony messages for him, there is increased activity on the EEG,” Suttle said.


Aaaand that's where I really lost it.

I wish Michael had known my husband John before this. I wish they could have geeked out together over their favorite ponies and debated the best episodes. I wish Michael could have felt all this support before January 23rd somehow - and while I'm at it, I wish ALL young fans could have this kind of outpouring of encouragement when times get tough.

We have to start where we are, and with who we know. But let's start, my friends. Let's make every kid in a geeky/fan t-shirt, every child who loves something outside the mainstream, feel like a rock star. Let's encourage the ones we know, and praise the ones we don't. If my Exemplars features have taught me anything, it's that there is strength in numbers, and kids in particular need to know they're not alone. I love the internet for that - so let's keep sharing and cheering them on, one brony or bug-collector or Trekkie or Whovian or future-geologist at a time.

A sampling of Exemplars and inspirations, one and all.

The world's going to be different some day, and it will be better because of kids like these. Because of kids like Michael.


K, that's all I've got. Now, go hug someone you love. And if you'd like to donate to Michael's recovery fund, you can do so at the family's Go Fund Me page here.

73 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness. Bless that sweet little boy's heart. I know what it's like to feel like you can't go on. It breaks my heart that he had to feel that same pain. There isn't much more I can say other than that I hate this for him and his family.

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  2. I look forward to a world where humans are free to love whomever and whatever they please. Most of the people in my life are geek and proud, but those who aren't could care less about what we like. I can't imagine the sadness and despair from bullying (over a tv show?!) that would drive a child to suicide. Michael, you're in my thoughts. Keep fighting, my friend.

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  3. the world will be different because of you too jen. <3
    i love how much support you are giving to this community, and to people in general.

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  4. My heart is absolutely broken for this little boy. If I wasn't at work and my son wasn't at school, he'd be complaining right now about me hugging him too tightly. I made a donation but it feels like it isn't nearly enough. What your FB commenter said is so true: NO 11 year old child should know what suicide is.

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  5. This really hits home right now, my 6 year old has recently gotten really into My Little Ponies along with his little sister. They play for hours together pretending to be their favorites and coming up with adventures to go on. I periodically touch base with him to see how his friends react to this fandom. Thankfully his school matches up 'buddies' between classes and as a kindergartener my son is matched with an 8th grader. This boy is just wonderful and when my son wanted to name their team for Catholic Schools week the My Little Ponies, this boy not only went along with it but made it a point to tell all the other 8th graders what a cool name my son had picked out. I need to buy that boy a big present at the end of the year, its really comforting knowing that my little guy has a big guy looking out for him. Since the big kid thought it was cool all of my sons friends thought it was cool too so we have managed to make an entire kindergarten class of bronies.

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    1. That is awesome. I love that so much.

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    2. Dear FlatlanderInVT, your son is very fortunate to have such a great school buddy. Having an eighth grader embrace and encourage your son's interest in MLP is amazing, given what middle school kids can say and do to one another! He's courageous, as well. My only suggestion is that you not wait until the end of the school year to acknowledge the positive contribution your son's buddy is making in his life - send him a note to let him know how much you appreciate him. When you see him, thank him for the time he spends with your son and how he has made a positive impact on your son's life. A young person can never get enough positive reinforcement and warm fuzzies!

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    3. It is so cool to read that an 8th grade boy would be so supportive and sensitive. Those middle school years can be so tough, but it looks as though this kid has it together--enough that he can make YOUR little boy feel good about himself. Such a great story--a real testament to what good can come with supportive parents and a nurturing environment. Love it!

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    4. Yes we are really lucky. His buddy will stop and say hi when we see him at pick up and I try to always thank him for being such a good influence. He's just all around a great kid, I've called it out to the attention of the school principal and development director too, and offered to write any recommendations for any awards he may be eligible for with his 8th grade graduation approaching. My kindergartener is the oldest of my kiddos so just knowing that he has such an awesome and supportive environment is such a relief and weight off my shoulders as this is all new territory to me still and my boy is a sensitive soul who we had a bullying situation with in daycare (his 'friend' went so far as to tell him he should get a gun and shoot me because I wouldn't let him play violent video games, he was 4 at the time). So I'm pretty hyper alert about potential bully fodder when it comes to him.

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  6. What a tragic story - that kids can be so cruel... But there are cool people out there who love and support the same awesome geeky stuff. I always try to give a "love the shirt" or other encouragement to kids I see wearing geeky stuff and I've been surprised by a few kids telling me they like MY shirt too and that just makes my day. Jen - you and Carrie are doing wonderful things and I share your awesome with everyone I know hoping that one day we, as a society, are all just cool with everyone else's interests. Best wishes to Michael and his family and anyone else coping with anything anywhere along the bullying/harassing/depression/suicide timeline...

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  7. I pulled my son out of public school to homeschool this year, and it wasn't until last week that he told me that the kids teased him (he "can't remember" the specifics). I'd seen him become less and less happy, but he wouldn't talk to me about it (this is a school with a no tolerance policy for bullying, too). He loves science, but he's at the age where it's not cool to like school. He's so much happier homeschooling. He's not getting the stress migraines that he got at school (he was in the office with them on a regular basis last year), and smiles are normal now, instead of rare. My son will be 11 this year.
    I feel so bad for Michael's parents.

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  8. This is one of the reasons I love Epbot. It's a community of supportive people. Whatever you are in to the people here won't judge you in fact they will say, "you go" even if it's not what they are personally interested in.

    This is absolutely tragic. My heart goes out to the family.

    I have two daughters and 8 nieces/nephews. I'm going to make sure they and every other child in my life have the support they need and teach them not to bully/tease their peers. Part of that may be sending them here.

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  9. Oh dear God. I'm just sick. This is devastating. Oh my God.

    I'll do it, Jen. I'll fight my extreme introversion and give props to the Exemplars I see out and about. Thank you for what you do. You are using your platform in such a wonderful way.

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  10. This has got to stop. No 11 year old should know what suicide is & no child should think teasing is ok, especially over something as simple as liking a TV show! This is also why geek on geek hate makes me so mad. Our culture gets enough of this from outsiders, we don't need it from in our own culture. I pray Michael wakes soon & sees this support is so much more powerful than those who teased him to feel better about themselves. I also pray those who teased him are woken up by this & realize hate & spite isn't worth it.

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  11. Heartbreaking! Praying for his family and that his story will have a happy ending after all this.

    I think for me, as a mom of two very young children, one of the most disheartening things about this is that his parents may have been doing everything right--it sounds like they supported his interests, embraced and accepted him for who he was, reminded him that the opinions of others don't need to matter. He was even close to his uncle, a fellow Brony who encouraged his interests and "geeked out" with him. The adults in his life seem to have been doing everything right. But there's only so much we can do for our kids.....Unless our kids have other kids in their lives who accept them for who they are, they will still face this kind of loneliness. It's scary to think how little control I will have over whether or not my own kids feel accepted. We parents need to be raising our kids not just to love the things they love, but also to encourage OTHERS to love what THEY love, because it's kids who have the greatest power to fight this.

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  12. There's not really any way for kids to not know about suicide, even if they don't know the word. If they know people stop living, they can figure out they can stop, too. I've had a suicidal daughter since September and she won't be 10 until June. Her 12 year old brother has started carving words into his arm. In both cases, there is bullying happening. As bad as the last months have been, I feel so lucky that my daughter talked to her father and I about it so we've been able to get her help, even if she isn't out of the woods yet. I can only imagine how awful it would feel if she hadn't talked to us. I hope Michael's parents can get through this without blaming themselves for everything because I know that's how I've felt.

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  13. ugh, why can't parents teach their kids acceptance? i mean, you don't have to love the show, i don't, for example, but that doesn't mean that i would ever say anything bad to/about someone who does. it's the basic principle of RESPECT that i quietly decide that this might not be for me, but all the power to those who like it.

    plus, having been bullied since kindergarten myself, i can understand how it feels if nothing you do seems right, and everything you do gives an opening for the bullies to hurt you more. i got to a point where i was neutral happy-go-lucky on the outside, would answer "great" whenever someone asked how i am, answered a neutral "this-and-that" when asked about hobbies, said "nothing much" when asked about what i did yesterday afternoon.

    i got so good at keeping a facade, that at one point even the few people i considered somewhat as friends didn't notice something was amiss the day after my dad had died. breaking down that facade and start to be myself again was one of the hardest challanges of my adult life.

    but building that facade as a kid was what saved my life.

    i hope we as a society can finally start to provide an environment where a kid doesn't need to survive, but can actually enjoy life.

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  14. This is heart breaking. I think YOU and this sight are powerful. Anytime I see a "geeked out" kid I try to compliment them because of the encouragement I have seen here. Then I tell the parents about this site. (I should have business cards) I tell them about Katie and about the exemplars. I tell them Every geek parent needs Epbot. I have gained so much understanding for my own kids through you. You have created a great community that helps us see that the shows, the characters we love matter to the person wearing it. That they give strength, support and encouragement. Especially if someone else recognizes it. Doctor Who helped save one of my daughters. She couldn't imagine missing he next episode and it helped her put hurtful thoughts to rest. So Thank you Jen and John. For sharing these stories. For making us aware. For helping us be better parents, neighbors, friends.

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  15. How sad that this little boy didn't realize he is part of a much larger community. When we went to Sakura Con last year there were many bronies of all ages. Poor little man. Prayers for recovery.

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  16. OMG this is so heart breaking. :(

    I have an almost 11 year old Brony myself, who proudly sports his My Little Pony backpack to school every day. Luckily he is not teased about it, but as a mom I worried internally about how he would be treated the first day he went to school with it.

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  17. As the mom of a 11 year old and 6 year old Brony, this absolutely breaks my heart.

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  18. This absolutely breaks my heart. I wish I could have talked to him and that he could have met my family. I am 33 years old and LOVE MLP. My husband, who will be 35 in a month, LOVES MLP as much as I do. In fact, he has ordered about 10 of the Funko MLP figurines over the past two months. Pinkie Pie should be arriving any day now. He has started quite the collection. All three of my children (well, the youngest is 8 months but I'm sure he too will love MLP) love MLP. My son is 2.5, but he loves MLP and begs to hold the Funko ponies. We all love dancing to the songs in Equestria Girls movie.

    People of all kinds and all ages love MLP and you know what, MLP is a wonderful show with a great message. I think anyone who likes MLP is a GREAT person. Also, we all love Pentatonix, just like Michael does.

    We are praying for his recovery. Apart from wanting him to recover for the obvious reasons, I want him to be able to enjoy MLP again and hold his head high as a proud Brony. We will stand with you, Michael!!! We support you!

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  19. Jen, I want to share this on FB, but when I click on the FB link from the home page, I get the text from Thursday's review, and when I click from this post specifically, I get the "Please be respectful when commenting...." (Not that that's a bad thing....) Anything you can do from this end to fix this?
    I find myself wishing that, much as I like "Live Long and Prosper," IDIC had caught on better. We need more recognition of the beauty of diversity. Hmm... I think I need to find a new avatar.

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    1. You could copy and paste the URL from the top of this page. That's what I usually do with the Cake Wrecks posts because I like to be able to pick the picture I share and my iPod won't let me unless I save the specific picture and add a link when posting.

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  20. It's heart wrenching that kids can be so cruel to each other, and that some kids think the only way out is to kill themselves. I wish Michael's family the best, and I hope that he recovers. Every child needs to be told that they are completely and totally lovable no matter what they do or who they are. And we can start that by telling our children and our children's friends. Every child that we know needs to know that they have our support and our love, unconditionally.

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  21. That is so heart breaking to read. I can not even imagine. And I agree an 11 year old shouldn't even know what suicide is! I know so many kids into so many different thing, some "main stream" others not. And now I will always be on the lookout for bullying. sometimes I can't even fathom how people can be so hateful and ugly and then you see this. I am going to go check out the article now and get more info. And its official January 23 just sucks. (Other personal stuff happened then in my family).

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  22. What a touching post. Seeing all the support and wonderful comments from people all over really makes me love this community and geeks/nerds/most people in general. I hope that Michael will be able to hear them/read them all soon. I'll be keeping him in my prayers.

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  23. I first heard of this in a TeeVillian email; they're selling a fundraiser tshirt for this poor little boy. I cannot imagine the pain that this family is going thru. While I love my childrens' individualities, and would not change them for the world, I almost want them to keep quiet when they're out and about. And yet, for their sakes' and the sake of interesting children everywhere, I want them to shout their loves from the rooftop, and never be afraid to love what they love. I have to hope that the love and encouragement I give them will keep them safe from the narrowminded bullies and haters out there. I hope Michael recovers, so he can see that there are people, strangers, out here who wish him well, and want the best for him.

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  24. I don't know the reason, but, 45 years ago a friend of mines 12 YEAR OLD sister HUNG herself in the garage! !!! It is unimaginable being that YOUNG and HURTING so bad in your heart you even THINK of taking your life! !!!

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  25. How awful, poor Michael. Seriously impressed with the response from 'Pinkie Pie' though. I've donated but in the face of "lifelong medical bills" any amount seems inadequate.

    My brony turns 11 tomorrow. I'm just decorating his Portal birthday cake ready for his Minecraft sleepover. I worry sometimes that by supporting his geeky interests (that mirror my own) I might be setting him further apart from his peers, leaving him vulnerable to bullies, but I think your Exemplars are wonderful, Jen, and they reassure me that he's not alone and he doesn't have to try to blend in or follow the crowd.

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  26. Poor kid. His family must be in agony. Thanks for sharing his story with us. I'm also very grateful that you keep posting your Examplars series. Not only does it give me hope that my little geeks are not alone, but as a mum (where everything you do is automatically judged), it gives me hope that there are other geek parents out there with the same worries as me.

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  27. My son is 14 and has Aspergers and is also a big fan of My Little Pony. When you talked about how John loves them too it made him feel a lot better about liking them (it also made my husband slightly less uncomfortable about it). Hearing something like this makes me sick to my stomach and I was sobbing when I first heard about it yesterday. I hope those children who were doing the bullying have their noses rubbed in it. Having been the target of ongoing bullying for years at high school myself I still wonder what goes on in the mind of someone who does that - do they ever feel shame? Do they ever grow up into real human beings or do they continue to belittle others their entire lives? What goes on inside the head of a bully?

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    1. I worked with a woman who said she had bullied other children all the time during her school years. It haunts her now. She has apologized to several of them (we live in a small town and you run into people from school fairly often)... some accepted her apology, others rejected her.

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  28. Truth! The world is a better place because of YOU! :D This blog is my main source of understanding my friend geeks and supporting anyone else! You make geeks cool and are a rolemodel for the internet!!! :D xoxoxoxox

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  29. I'm sharing this post with my friend who is one of the Bennet's listed as show animators in the credits a number of his friends are also animators on the show.

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  30. I bought my best friend's 5-year old son a giant, sparkly Pinkie Pie plush for Christmas, because when I asked him what he wanted Santa to bring him, that was at the top of his list. He tells me that some of the kids in his class laugh at him sometimes, because he likes pink, and pretty things. I have told him time and again that the most important thing in life is to be who you are, and not be ashamed of the things you love. This story absolutely breaks my heart. You're right, 11-year-olds should NOT be attempting suicide, especially over this. A heartfelt 'thank you' to all the people who are banding together to make sure this little sweetheart pulls through.

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  31. If you could try to find out where to send tangible items, I'd like to send him something Pinkie Pie awesome.

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  32. May I gently gently gently suggest that we take this beautiful boy's story and use it as an impetus to look after our children's mental health? I doubt that one incident of someone teasing him led to this tragedy. This must have been a long pattern of bullying with some underlying issues. Please look after your children and all children under your care. Stop making snarky comments about people's bodies and people's lives. Raise them to do better than the children who delight in hurting the feelings of others. Because after you've bullied someone almost to death, there's just no coming back from that...

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    1. I was thinking that. I was bullied as a kid, but that wasn't why I once spent an hour in my bedroom dropping furniture repeatedly on my hand. The trigger was that I wanted someone to pay attention to me (as I realized the one time I caught myself doing the same thing during a stressful week in college,) but the fact was: I was a ten-year-old who was already manifesting signs of the depression and ADD that I wouldn't actually seek treatment for until I was 25. But nobody thought about pre-teens and depression in the '80s and only the REALLY messed-up kids went and talked to the school counselor…and I was just sad and weird, right?

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    2. Yeah, I thought the same thing. With all due respect and love to him and his family, this must have been a huge last straw in a heap of crap he'd been taking from other kids for a while. What child suddenly decides to kill himself to stop his pain, such an extreme solution at such a young age? One that's been in misery for some time before doing such a thing. When I was 14, after trying and leaving MANY schools, I told my mother "If you make me go back to that school and the jerkass kids and the teachers that do nothing to stop them, you will never see me again. I will leave while you are asleep or gone, and I will jump from the Bay Bridge. I mean it." And I really did, so she pulled me out and homeschooled me. This was over 30 YEARS AGO, people! Why in the name of Bowie is this STILL a thing?!

      My Drag 101 class has changed and evolved, BTW. I am running it alone now (no shade, but the person I was doing it with had NO CLUE what he was doing or how to teach, and the kids requested that he be dropped and the class be turned over to me. I was beyond chuffed, I got all sniffly), and I noticed from talking to the kids over the months that very few of them, if any, were actually interested in doing "drag" nearly as much as the other teacher wanted them to. It seems that I have a class of gay teen nerdlings who are actually more interested in learning how to make costumes and do cosplay (a word I've had to get used to with this lot; it seems that I can no longer fight it and the C Word is here to stay), and learning the make-up appropriate for it. The "theme" of the first project for our new costuming class is to design and create (from scratch or thrift shop finds) a Steampunk outfit, because they showed such an interest in it when I mentioned my friends and I have experience. They are encouraged to dress in whatever gender suits them; some of my girls are dressing as explorers and dandies, and some of my boys are gonna be lovely corseted ladies. These kids are the best.

      I make sure I tell them, look them in their eyes and really tell them, that they are beautiful and awesome just the way they are, that what we're doing is just artifice and illusion. That they are clever and talented and CAN create things if they give it a chance, that what ever they're into, it's awesome (whether my old ass "gets it" or not. Lady GaGa eludes me, but if they love her, then I guess I do, too), and to never, EVER be ashamed of the nerdy things they love and the nerdy person they are, because nerds RULE, and always have. I've made sure they have my phone number and that they know that I'm a severe nightowl, and that they really can call me in the middle of the night if they feel terribly alone.

      Because I never want them to feel as alone as I did, as ashamed for being a supernerd as I did, ashamed for their sexuality or gender expression. To never know shame or fear, only pride and curiosity. I don't want them, or any other kid, to ever be in as much torment as this poor little boy over *who they are and what or who they like/love*.

      Being a person with lifelong depression, there are a few spiritual beliefs that I feel like I *must* hold onto and believe, or the illogical nonsense of everyday life is too much to bear. So, in my heart, I *have* to believe that this happened in order to bring awareness to the topic and to prevent countless others like him from a similar fate. I *have* to believe that he will get better, and that even if he doesn't (Mother of Mercy, please be kind), his story will be spread and save others. Otherwise, this world is too stupid for me to continue living in it.

      Your Pal,

      Storm the Klingon

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    3. Storm, while I admire your strength and am glad you were able to find your voice when you were young, not all children (or adults for that matter) have that ability. Some are only capable of communicating by subtle signals, some are not capable of communicating at all. I was bullied and teased throughout school and never told my parents for many very complicated reasons. My childhood was, in many ways, a living hell. Yet nobody knew how bad it was until I was an adult and was finally able to find my voice. The possibility of suicide was ever present and I came really close many times. Again, nobody knew. Nobody could have known.

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  33. Thank you for encouraging everyone to encourage these kids. DH & I do that with our children and sometimes it is so hard.

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  34. This... this... how could kids EVER be that cruel? And over something as silly as a tv show? I mean, I can semi-sorta understand bullying based on attitude (still wrong, trust me, but that at least makes a tiny wisp of sense); but over a freakin SHOW?! Come on! I got bullied for many things, but never over liking boy stuff (girl). It makes me want to scream. Or write This

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  35. I have a five year old boy. Who asked me this summer to make him a dress. Not just any dress, but a sundress. A bright red one. What did I do? I made it. It has ruffles along the hem, and gathers at the bodice, just like any other sundress would have. It is the middle of winter and he still wears it, over his jeans and a long sleeved t. He would like to wear it to school , but he wears a uniform so it wouldn't be allowed, but if he didn't, would I let him. Yes, I would. He also likes to paint his nails, but nowadays he only paints his toes because "the boys at school see my fingers and laugh". I caught him once trying to literally chew it off of his fingers. He asks to have mascara and makeup once in a while, but only now and then. He has asked Santa for nail polish in his stocking, and Santa brought it. We have talks regularly about how its ok to like what you like (his favorite cartoon is Sophia the First), to be who you are, because people love you for those things, not the things that you pretend to be. I cannot imagine what it must feel like for the family of that wonderful little boy. My heart goes out to them and if there is any way we can get an address to send things to him, I am sure my 5 year old would love to make him a get well card.

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    1. What a wonderful story, and what a wonderful, supportive mom you are. One of the best books I read last year was Andrew Solomon's book "Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity." My field is special education, so I originally picked up the book to read the chapter relating to ability/disability, but I found the whole book to be moving, sensitive, and inspiring. The author spent years interviewing hundreds of parents about their children and families, and much of the book is in their words.

      There is a chapter on identity as well. Here's a quote from that chapter:
      "Difference unites us. While each of these experiences can isolate those who are affected, together they compose an aggregate of millions whose struggles connect them profoundly. The exceptional is ubiquitous; to be entirely typical is the rare and lonely state."

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    2. AnitaO, you rock SO hard, it's bloody frightening. It could very well be a "phase", as I've known many straight men who went through a "girly dress-up" period in their youth, and didn't grow up to be gay, much less a drag queen or transwoman. However, I've known plenty of drag queens and transwomen who *did* know at that young of an age that they'd always love pink and lipstick and nail polish and pretty dresses... and almost none of them had a Mom like you that said "Whatever, it's OK, like what you like, I still love you". They all had Moms that freaked out and made them so ashamed that they did it in secret and hid it from their family until they couldn't take it anymore and came out to them. I've known several who tried to kill themselves, because they knew that being gay was already too much for their family, but to do drag or transition was beyond unacceptable, and they couldn't live without their family, but they couldn't deny who they are.

      Whomever your lovely, fashionable son becomes later in adolescence and adulthood, be it quarterback for his high school team or America's Next Drag Superstar, he'll do it to its fullest, secure with the knowledge that you love and accept him. What a fantastic gift.

      Again, let me be clear-- you ROCK,

      Storm the Klingon

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  36. When will schools promote the thought "Bullies aren't cool, they're COWARDS!". I too lost it yesterday after reading this. My son tried to commit suicide when he was 16. It was the worst year of my life. We lived on "watch" for 12 months. He sustained no damage but a scar above his eye. I'm one of the lucky ones, he is now 25 and just graduated from college. He has learned to identify and manage the periods of depression. With all my heart I wish Michael and his family every good thing the Universe has to provide. For the Bullies that caused Michael so much misery... I hope they understand the horror of what they've done, learn from it, and NEVER forget it.
    To Anita O: Everyone should be lucky enough to have a mother like you!

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  37. This story breaks my heart.

    Thank you for making this wonderful space for people to encourage and support one another.

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  38. Michael, please, don't feel ashamed for what you love. It's a wonderful show, and it has great messages for both girls AND BOYS. The people who were telling you that you can't love it are narrow-minded, foolish, horrible people. It is impossible not to hear their messages, and hard not to believe them, but please believe this: we—all the people on this site, your family, your friends—support you and love you. We do not want you to leave us. There is no shame in liking magical ponies rather than sports stars. We love you. You are valued. We would be heartbroken if you left us.

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  39. It's stories like this that scare and horrify me as a parent. I have 6 and 8 year old sons. They are huge fans of Tinkerbell and the Tinkerbell movies. There are times I bite my tongue when I am about to tell them not to mention that to other kids. All out of fear that I know they could be teased and even bullied if that information is shared. I wish it were OK in the eyes of everyone that they loved these movies about a funny, adventurous and occasionally sassy Fairies which I have to say I enjoy watching with them. My heart and prayers goes out this his family.

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  40. Thank you. You can not imagine (or maybe you can) how much easier it makes things when kids realize that there are others who share their passion.

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  41. Thank you for letting us know about this brave little boy. Will keep him and his family in our prayers.

    I have an 11 year old daughter who is a HUGE fan of "MLP." Before she started her first day of middle school last fall (heck, before she began 5th grade last year) I cautioned her against wearing her beloved "MLP" t-shirts to school because kids can be very cruel. She thought long and hard about it - and then decided she wanted everyone to know who she is and what she's all about.

    She has received some push-back and rude comments from a few miserable kids, but we've been lucky that she's been largely undeterred by the haters. Still I still fear that one day, one of these kids will get the best of her and make her feel awful (or worse).

    I am so proud to be this brave, confident girl's mom. If she knew Michael, she'd surely be his friend and take him under her wing. My heart goes out to his parents.

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  42. I told my 13 year old son about this story yesterday, as we were driving to the movie theater to see Frozen, and he said that he wished he had known Michael, so that he could helped protect him from the bullies.

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  43. I'm in the middle of listening to Wonder by R.J. Palacio about a boy with a birth defect that leaves his face deformed. I am in love with the way this story is being told so far and have been considering having my kids read it. I have an 8 and a 10 year old. The topic of suicide presented itself in the book as I listened today, and I thought "my kids are too young to be exposed to this." I guess not. Thank you for sharing this story. A heartbreaking topic to tackle.

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  44. Another book people might be interested in reading is "The Boy In The Dress" by David Walliams (the tall dude in the show Little Britain). It's lighthearted but about the same things and shows that not everyone will judge you, some may even help you.

    And thank you to all who replied to my post.

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    Replies
    1. A Walliams/Little Britain fan as well? Girl, I wish we could hang out; we could watch "LB" while your son goes nuts in my costume closet. ;)

      Cheers, darling!

      Storm the Klingon

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  45. I cannot imagine what it's like to be a kid these days. I think back to what my school days were like and while I endured being picked upon by classmates, it was definitely nothing like the brutal extremes today. Tragic stories like this make me fearful of what the world is becoming. Sending good thoughts that this little one makes it through.

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  46. My dear son, 9 , read his Equestria Daily, and told me all about the story. I am glad I was able to talk to him about bullying, mental health, the importance of telling EVERYONE if you are thinking of suicide. Why did I have to have this talk with him? He is clearly upset, as he started to sleep walk last night, so I told him today we will donate money to his family to help with expenses and he is thrilled to be able to help.

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  47. A free society is a place where it's safe to be unpopular. -Adlai Stevenson, governor, ambassador (1900-1965)

    May we become so free, and the sooner, the better.

    Peace and healing to Michael—and to all who suffer for being different.

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  48. My 13 yr old son is a Brony. He loves the show, reads loads of fan fiction, and writes his own stories. He is also autistic. I have worried his whole life about him getting bullied. With two geeky parents, he's always been ahead of the crowd, loving things before they are "popular". We've always encouraged him to be proud of who he is. He never had any real friends until 6th grade when he found another boy who would talk Minecraft with him. Now, in 7th grade he also discovered this friend is a fellow Brony. I couldn't be more thrilled. I pray for Michael's family. I pray they can find peace, I pray Michael can someday know of all the love and support coming his way from this huge internet community.

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  49. The issue of bullying is one that hits close to the heart for me. I was a bullied child - never to the degree that we hear about today. But enough that I can understand how it feels when it happens to others.

    Jen, I shared this post on Facebook to my friends and family. I have permission to copy one of the comments I received here - it's a message from a friend of mine to Michael. Ben said it better than I ever could. I trust you will see that it finds its way to Our Little Brony.

    -=-=-
    Hey Michael,

    I feel you, man. Look, I'm a forty two year old man, a black belt in karate, former owner of a small martial arts school. I'm a duelist, a student of the sword and a teacher of the same. I have lead men and women into medieval battles. While I'm not a veteran, and have never served in truth, I come from a proud tradition of men who have put their lives on the line for their country, and each other. I know what it is to dream, play hard, and fight hard. I know what it is to be hurt, and to come out a survivor. I know childhood can quite simply suck sometimes, and I know in a very deep and personal way just how magical friendship can be. I have the scars to prove it. I've been bullied, and frightened, and found myself crying in the corners of empty rooms hoping it would just stop. I know some of what you faced. All of that being true, I know that there is light, and there is joy, and there is triumph. There is harmony as well as discord, and I know that even Discord (you know who I mean) can find friends, and learn how to be better, and stronger with the help of those who can love. I can tell you, with no reservation, that it does get better, much better. I also watch My Little Pony. I watch it with my wife, who loves me, and is the best friend any man could have. I love the show, and I get it. I think a lot of the people I know could use some of that magic from time to time.

    Michael, I'm also a brony, and I'm not ashamed.

    One final thing: I have your back. I've faced threats that would make those who hurt you weep, and I'm still here. I'm still fighting. I'm still loving my friends, and they are loving me. No one can make everyone else a better person, but no one should make you feel bad enough to hurt yourself. You keep being you, and keep being at least 20% cooler. You are not close to alone, my friend. You have an army with you, Michael, and I'm going to be right there behind you.

    Brohoof, little brother,
    Ben Martin

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  50. One of those times that I just wish I could make the world right! Keep fighting Michael, you're worth it!

    -Lisa

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  51. This might be a downer for many, but speaking as someone who has a sister with brain damage, I can give a summary of what this family will have to deal with.
    1. Neurorehabilitation. A good neurorehab center will have one caregiver for every 4-6 patients. They are also as expensive as heck. Over $20,000 for a five month stay. For that you should get meals, medications, physical. occupational, and speech therapy, and enrichment trips.
    2. continual rehab after neurorehab. Lumosity has a traumatic brain injury program to keep working the brain.
    3. Severe confusion. My sister has problems telling knives from forks and forks from spoons. On occasion, when loading the dishwasher she will put the pans and bowls in so that they will fill with water. She can spend up to forty minutes loading the dishwasher with one day's worth of dishes.
    4.Inappropriate responses. Laughing at a car exploding on TV, or laughing when someone else is working on a task that doesn't involve her.
    And this is if he will be able to go home after neurorehabilitation. There were several people in the facility that my sister went to who were bedridden or wheelchair bound.
    Some states don't have programs for neurorehab. There was a woman from Hawaii at my sister's center. So Michael's family might have to go out of state to help him.

    -Allison

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  52. I found out about this through a t-shirt site that was a selling a brony shirt to help the family. It saddens me to no end. Hearing stories like this make me both fear for and be proud of my ex-boyfriend's kids. My ex has three boys, right now they are 14,13, and 11. They're been on/off running a brony Facebook page. They're kids so they get distracted from keeping it updated. I'm proud that they all have super nerdy interests and have no problem with being open about it. I only fear for the oldest who is socially awkward in the way that he doesn't know when is the appropriate time to discuss minute details of EVERYTHING he's interested in coupled by his crazy mother telling him there's something wrong with his brain for acting the way he does. His dad meanwhile tells his ex-wife to stop that talk because there's nothing wrong with their son as he acted the same exact way as a kid as well.

    Anyway, off on a small tangent. Really wishing those boys would have kept up their brony page, maybe Michael would have seen it and seen boys his age and older enjoying MLP like that. Also wish that maybe he would have seen Chad Alan's videos on Youtube. Chad only started collecting MLP but has started a campaign called B.O.L.D. (Boys Openly Liking Dolls) and maybe that would have helped him realise that your gender doesn't determine the shows you like or the toys you play with.

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  53. Speaking as a proud Brony, this story breaks my heart. Still,a s much grief and anger I have, I also have hope for humanity, due to the massive outpouring of support and love from the fandom. The Herd takes care of its own.
    Artists are stepping up, saying 'we are poor starving artists, but we are auctioning off what we have made, to help raise money'. Collectors are selling their toys and buttons. Shirts are being printed and sold. All to help this boy, and also to help send the message of love.
    By the way, if you haven't cried enough, here's this bit of artwork: http://pixelkitties.deviantart.com/art/The-Pinkie-Promise-431051950

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  54. Do you know where we can send things to Michael? A friend of mine makes pony hats and she's making a Pinkie Pie hat for him. We didn't know what else to do (after we donated) and doing nothing was not an option.

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  55. Can you update this story when you learn more? Most of the news articles I've found are days old.

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  56. An update!

    http://www.chicagonow.com/portrait-of-an-adoption/2014/02/great-new-update-on-michael-morones/

    And it's actually encouraging news. Per the article linked above:
    "
    Over the last several days, for the first time, Michael has steadily improved. His body is starting to wake up and his brain is very slowly starting to function again. He no longer needs IV medications or sedation.

    There are recent signs of neurological function present in Michael’s body that have not previously existed. As such, the next steps include moving him to a wheelchair. His family attributes his improvement to the outpouring of love and support.

    The doctors still don't know what he will be capable of since his brain has a long way to go, but thanks to each and everyone of you out there sending love, positive thoughts and prayers, Michael is experiencing an evolving miracle of healing.

    There is now a new website for the Michael Morones Foundation located at http://www.michaelmorones.org and it is the go-to page for all information about Michael. The page is interactive and includes a place for supporters to comment and upload YouTube videos for Michael."

    Oh, I hope this little Brony has a second chance to know how loved he is and how missed he would be if he had left us.

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  57. This story, when I first read about it, broke my heart. Sadly, I know how a kid gets pushed to attempt suicide at this age because my son was ten when he came to me and said he couldn't take the bullying anymore and that he was fighting his own head which was telling him to just kill himself. He has aspergers syndrome and was being tortured (I don't use that term lightly) by both kids and teachers. Those same teachers were lying to my face about how things were going for him.

    I won't talk about the nightmare we were thrust into. I try not to think about it. When he was well enough, we ended up moving our son into a safe, special program outside the school district where he was with 10 other children (ages 9-12), all of whom had learning disabilities and had attempted to end their suffering. They were all broken, but together they were strong & over the next few years, they all healed each other. Still, what he went through changed him permanently & profoundly.

    School is a nightmare place for kids who are different. They're told to suck it up by adults when they're bullied. They're punished for reporting the bullies. (Mine was given lunch detention repeatedly for speaking up.) And sometimes, the adults who are supposed to be protecting them are just as much bullies as the kids.
    I'm praying for Michael. I hope he recovers fully,

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  58. Don't forget to encourage kids you see, even a random "I love your Pony/harry potter/spider-man/princess...shirt/backpack/necklace".
    I recently went to Universal Studios and while in line for a ride told the kid behind me I liked his Harry Potter stuff (necklace, shirt, owl) he was so overjoyed that an 'adult' was talking to him and started telling me about his owl named Ninja.
    His mother actually thanked me for saying something to him and told him "See, I knew people here would like your Harry Potter things!" She told me he had been afraid he would be made fun of (granted this was HP weekend!).

    No one should ever put someone else down for liking anything. But it happens. It still happens. I'm an adult cosplay model and also do charity work in character and hear my coworkers often making fun of me for 'needing to grow up.'

    To that I say, you first.

    Prayers Michael, come back to all the bronies soon :)

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  59. Jen and all--I'm in central NC and just saw this hopeful update on young Michael on 1 of our local news stations!
    http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=9436750

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  60. Michael, come back to us bud. Once you are better, you and your step-dad can chillax and talk about one of the best things that has happened to this planet. And when you have problems with bullies, just know an entire Fandom of over 20 million people, is on your side. You aren't alone and you aren't a minority. Just pull through and the time of your life is waiting. MLS changed me too. It made me smile when I needed it most. That is why I am a brony.

    Keep trucking dude.
    -The Brony Fandom

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