The parents of a 10-year-old girl who tragically died by suicide have opened up about the heartbreaking changes they noticed in her before her passing.<\/p>\n
In the weeks leading up to the March 21 tragedy, Autumn Bushman, a fourth-grade student at Mountain View Elementary School in Roanoke, had begun showing clear signs of emotional distress.<\/p>\n
Before her untimely death, her parents, Mark and Summer Bushman, said they noticed devastating changes in their daughter\u2019s behavior.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was the youngest and probably the most free-spirited,\u201d her mother, Summer, said. \u201cShe was like a ball of energy. It didn\u2019t matter if it looked like she was going to crash through the living room floor\u2014she was always doing cartwheels inside the house.\u201d<\/p>\n
But in the weeks before the tragedy, that vibrant spark in her began to fade.<\/p>\n
The couple told WDBJ that their daughter started sleeping more than usual, smiling less, and dressing in darker clothes\u2014small but alarming shifts that worried them deeply.<\/p>\n
They also said that despite having reached out to the school to report bullying, the harassment continued.<\/p>\n
Autumn\u2019s mother explained that her daughter was targeted for standing up for other children who were being bullied.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was the kind of kid who, if someone was being picked on or bullied, she would step in to defend them. And sadly, that might have made her more of a target,\u201d Summer Bushman shared.<\/p>\n
The Bushmans said school officials had told them that the situation was being handled. But according to their daughter, things didn\u2019t improve.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut from what we know\u2014at least from what our daughter told us\u2014it just kept happening,\u201d her father, Mark, said.<\/p>\n
He added that the bullying extended beyond school grounds.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the age when kids have tablets and phones, so it\u2019s happening 24\/7. There\u2019s really no escape,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
According to the Daily Mail, the school released a statement saying they are actively investigating the events that led up to Autumn\u2019s death.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile we cannot comment on the details of this case due to federal privacy laws and out of respect for the family, we are conducting a thorough review,\u201d the statement read. \u201cOur schools take all reports of bullying and student conflict very seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n
The tragedy has deeply shocked friends, family, and the entire Roanoke community.<\/p>\n
Cher Nelson Johnson, a close family friend, posted a video montage of Autumn\u2019s short life along with a moving tribute.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is just heartbreaking,\u201d she wrote. \u201cThis is a photo of a sweet, loving young soul who took her own life today because of bullying. A beautiful girl from Roanoke is gone too soon.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you can, please keep Summer Bushman and her family in your thoughts as they grieve the devastating loss of their 10-year-old daughter, Autumn Brooke Bushman\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCheck in with your loved ones. Talk to your children about bullying. It has to stop.\u201d<\/p>\n
To honor Autumn\u2019s memory and raise awareness about the severe impact bullying can have on young lives, her family has invited the public to attend her visitation and funeral services this weekend.<\/p>\n
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