As noted in Amanda Mortimer's blog below, Olivia is a fourteen-year-old girl who recently went through a serious depression as a result of being bullied in and out of school. WATCH VIDEO. Her segment struck a chord with our own staff - when I caught up with her in the greenroom after her segment one of our crew members came in to tell her that his brother also was bullied through school after having a seizure in class. Ann Curry walked her out of the studio saying, "I could have talked to you for another ten minutes." (which, in television time, is an eternity). I caught up with Olivia and her mother Kathleen - below are some highlights from our conversation on the issue from their perspective:
Q: Bullying seems to be a universal problem: you've been hearing a lot from people who have gone through bullying - even from some of our staff today - has that had an effect on you, has that really registered?
Olivia: It does because a lot of bullied people feel alone with what they go through, and that's what brings up the suicidal feelings I think. And when I found out I wasn't alone, that's kind of what made it all disappear -
Kathleen: That's when she started laughing again, that's when she started smiling again - therapy, and then the letters. It was like all of a sudden - they were the best medicine.
Q: There is something exciting about getting real mail - not just email. Was it special to get the letters in the mail?
Olivia: It was really cool. I was like, 'oh yay, I got a few letters.' And then they kept coming in and I was like, 'oh my gosh!' and then we got emails too.
Q: Is there a letter that stands out in your mind as special?
Olivia: Well, the boys' letters are funny. The girls are really sweet and compassionate and that's always good, but then the boys are funny. And that's good - laughter is good. There were a few that I just thought were funny - this kid drew Pokemon and I was like 'that is the coolest thing ever.'
Q: Do you read every single one?
Olivia: So far, except we got a new batch of letters that I haven't read yet.
Q: Have you responded to them?
Olivia: I just started.
Kathleen: Everyone will get a response - everyone that has a return address will get a response.
Q: What would you say to kids in the middle of this situation -either the bullies or the bullied?
Olivia: That bullying hurts even if people don't show it. And to the bullies, they really need to stop because they don't realize probably that they can cause permanent damage. And then to the bullied, I think they just need to find support wherever they can.