Mom Shares Gut-Wrenching Truth After 6-Year-Old Hospitalized for Standing Up to Bullies [Updated]
UPDATE: Olympia Police said in a statement on Aug. 30 that the 6-year-old boy who had claimed he was seriously injured in a fight defending a friend was actually hurt in a fall. It was determined that the boy fell at his apartment on Aug. 22, most likely from a window. Police added that no charges had been filed. They feel the mother believed her son and did not make up the story.
Bullying is a serious problem that has only seemed to get more prevalent as it gets more attention. Kids have always picked on other kids, but some go beyond simple playground disputes and really do serious harm.
Whe you hear about bullying victims getting injured, you may think of slightly older kids, or children nearing their teen years. But that’s not the case in this story.
Carter English of Olympia, Washington, is just 6 years old, and was attacked by a group led by a 5-year-old at the apartment complex where he lives.
He wasn’t even the original target himself: he put himself in harm’s way for the sake of a friend.
“They were just bullying him, like beating him up,” Carter said of the friend they’d been picking on. “I just told them to stop, and then they did it to me.”
The bullies did more than just rough him up a little: somehow they managed to cover Carter in scrapes and bruises, break his arm, and lacerate his eye, using sticks and rocks they found lying around.
Carter’s mother, Dana, is beside herself with frustration and sadness.
“It’s been hell. I haven’t slept. I haven’t eaten. I can’t do anything,” she said according to KOMO News. “I can’t even leave his side.”
The two had just left the hospital Friday from Carter’s surgery when they sat down for an interview. A tearful Dana explained that they’d just pulled rocks and other debris from her son’s eye.
Carter is upset and in pain, and while his arm is in a sling for now, only time will tell whether or not he’ll need surgery on that, too.
Fortunately, police are getting social services involved to get to the bottom of the issue. Until it’s resolved, Carter and Dana are both scared of this happening again.
“I really don’t know what I’m hoping for other than for people to know that this is not acceptable,” Dana said. “Bullying is not OK. There’s no reason to bully someone ever.”
Karen Christine Friebe, a friend of Dana’s, set up a GoFundMe account for the family with the help of Savannah, another friend, to help cover these unexpected medical bills. So far, over $17,000 has been donated.
“On August 22nd, 2018 one of our community member’s sons was attacked by 7 children in his apartment complex,” Friebe wrote. “Carter has multiple hematomas on his forehead, a concussion, lacerations to his eyelid and eyeball (they had to pull beauty bark out of his eye), fractured elbow in 3 places and a broken arm and he has the possibility of (losing) his left eye.”
“Carter is 6 and has Autism. He is a very smart boy and loves video games, playing with his friends and being with his family. What happened to him wasn’t okay and the police are not stopping until they catch the kids that did this to him.”
Hopefully, the children who are responsible will learn that this is entirely unacceptable behavior and their parents will ensure that this doesn’t happen again.
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