Robert has been busy reading all of his letters.  Each and everyone of them are so uplifting it is amazing. He has been a different child since that week. We can not thank you and the Be-A-Friend organization enough.  ~ Robert's Mom, Donna

         Robert is "a nice kid with no attitude" who often surprises other kids with random acts of kindness. At camp, a little girl had no flip-flops, so Robert picked her up and carried across the street. At home, he met a little boy who couldn't afford a bike, so Robert decided to give him his own. When he sold his expensive go-kart, instead of keeping the money for himself, he asked his parents to help him find a way to donate the money to feed hungry kids. That's the kind of boy he is!

 

How could bullying happen to this caring crusader?

 KIDS SPREADING RUMORS, THAT'S HOW!

 

          Robert’s first year in middle school as a 5th Grader started out great.  A likable, star athlete, he is also “articulate and smart." Robert’s friends included both boys and girls, with lots of typical middle school crushes among them. One day, the ten-year-old complimented a classmate, saying she looked “pretty,” which made another little girl feel jealous. That girl's friends excluded Robert from their group, calling him “mean” and a “cheater” and told classmates, “don’t go near him” and "don't like him!". The family began to get prank calls in the middle of the night calling Robert “ugly” and “fat." Classmates posted on-line photos of him with derogatory captions meant to hurt, like “retard."

 

Untrue rumors and gossip spread like wildfire through the school and escalated into a year of social, verbal, physical and cyber bullying.

 

          When the BULLYING BECAME PHYSICAL, Robert showed self-control.

A Junior Brown Belt in karate, he could have hurt his bullies. His school had a “zero-tolerance policy” to violence, regardless of who started it, and students were told that police would be called immediately. So, Robert never returned the bullies' violence. Despite, his bullies seemed to be tolerated and their

bullying continued...

 

          Robert was grabbed in a bear-hug by the neck and dragged down the hallway. While he ate lunch with his buddies in the cafeteria, Robert was picked up and tossed to the floor. Finally, that lunch incident was caught on school surveillance cameras. The administration put a “targeted student” bullying procedure in place to protect Robert… but it didn't help. A bully hit him in the head with a backpack of books causing a severe concussion, a bruise to the brain that takes several months to get better.

 

          A valued teammate and gifted athlete in baseball and ice hockey, Robert had even been awarded MVP CATCHER of a baseball tournament! He was "devastated" when the concussion injury sidelined him from playing with his teams, due to doctor's orders. Usually a  main player in both his baseball and ice hockey teams, Robert was benched to ensure no physical contact. Months later, he is still not yet allowed to play contact sports while his concussion continues to mend.

 

         Robert had to stay home from school for 8 days because of the bad concussion, and then attempt half-days only. When he finally did return to school, his headaches were so

bad, he would end up leaving class to go to the nurse's office. Still, kids taunted him, saying he was “faking it” and “liked going to the nurse.”

 

        Robert became anxious about going to school and didn’t want to go back. He doesn't like to talk much about the bullying, but his mom, a nurse in a children's hospital, says she can see changes. Even very friendly teasing or pushing will trigger Robert into upset and memories of being targeted by his peers. To protect their son's emotional and physical health, his parents removed Robert from that middle school. Just turned 11 in July, Robert will start 6th grade in a new school away from his friends... and his bullies.

 

One thing is for sure, Robert's new school is about to find out HOW VERY LUCKY they are to have this kind, gifted 6th Grader join their class!

 

Robert may have been benched by bullies in 2017, but he opens the 3rd Season of the Be-A-Friend Project as our 10th superstar Project Youth to receive a delivery of “FRIEND MAIL”! Help us to surprise Robert with a BIG ACT OF KINDNESS like he does for others! Let's show this adorable boy that he has peer support all across the country!