BISMARCK, N.D. – A heartbreaking obituary for a 12-year-old girl who committed suicide details the "intense pain" she endured by being bullied, and the horror her family felt finding her body.
Cherish "Chance" Houle was a 7th grader and living in a foster home in Bismarck, N.D. when she took her own life on March 31.
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"Those who loved Cherish didn’t know how unbearable that pain she was experiencing had become for her," her family wrote in her obituary. "The support and love she was able to receive from those around her wasn’t enough to heal the scars of the relentless bullying she had already suffered."
Houle's family said she loved to draw and listen to music, but had become withdrawn recently, according to WDAY.
The obituary goes on to describe the effects of bullying has on both the victim and their family.
"The ugly truth of bullying is doing CPR for 4 minutes and 26 seconds. It’s listening to 911 operator tell you to go faster and push harder. It’s knowing that you didn’t open the door early enough for it to matter anyway. It’s that Cherish isn’t here anymore."
Houle's obituary ends with a plea to parents to talk to their children about the dangers of bullying and putting an end to the torment of children around the country.
"Have they witnessed bullying and it broke their heart, but they were glad they weren’t the target today? Did they not know what to do and walked away? Or joined in the laughter because they didn’t want to attract the attention of other bullies in the crowd. We are asking you to teach your children that our words are our most powerful resource and we need to be careful to use that precious resource to positively affect people. Teach your children what to do if someone they know is talking about suicide. Teach them who to call for help."