Mother's Intuition
As a parent, you have a unique intuition of when something is wrong with your child. When Deirdre Fell-O’Brien saw a drastic shift in her son's behaviour she knew that something was wrong.
She pressed him to discuss his problems with her in order to get to the bottom of things, and when he did, his response crushed her heart.
Interest In Sports
Deirdre and her husband had five kids, Darby, Liam, Jacinta, Muireann, and Jonjo. The family lived in Garden City, New York.
Liam was the second child of the couple. In 2016, Liam started attending seventh grade at Garden City Middle school. It was then that he started showing interest in sports.
Excelled In Sports
Liam was a soccer fanatic who excelled at the sport, much to his mother's delight. As he began seventh grade, he had earned a spot on the school squad and things were looking up.
Liam enjoyed being active, riding his bike with friends, and having a good appetite, according to Deirdre. But it was then that things started to change.
Subtle Changes
Despite a bright start to the school year, Deirdre noted some subtle changes in her son as winter neared and the fall semester came to a close.
"One chilly winter afternoon, Liam handed me his cell phone and told me he didn’t want it anymore. I asked why, but he brushed off my inquiry with a shrug and slunk back to his room, closing the door behind him," the mother recounts.
Red Flags
At first, Deirdre didn't give it much thought. She put the phone aside. But she quickly noticed other changes in Liam.
He stopped going out with his buddies, quit riding his bike, and appeared to be drifting away from his family. The largest red flag, though, had yet to appear.
Losing Interest In Soccer
Deirdre was concerned but it wasn't the worse yet. It was much later when Liam's behaviour would change drastically.
The school year was coming to end and with that Liam's interest in soccer started disappearing. “Liam didn’t pick up his soccer ball for the rest of the summer,” Deirdre wrote on Facebook. “I was so confused.”
Weight Loss
Later that summer, Liam travelled to Saratoga, New York, with his father. He began to notice some concerning signs with his son while he was there.
Liam didn't seem to be eating as much as he used to. It was noticeable that he was losing weight way too quickly. "He started to eat just one meal a day."
Hospital Stay
She continued to prod him for answers, concerned for her son's safety. He would insist that everything was fine.
When he lost 10 pounds in less than a month, she took him to the hospital. There he was admitted to the Cohen's Children's hospital for a week. Things were not looking great.
School Guidance Department
The school year started but Liam showed no signs of improvement. Helpless, Deirdre sought help from the school guidance department.
Liam's parents pleaded with the school to keep an eye out for their son, explaining that he was having difficulties. His parents were promised by the school that he would be fine. Unfortunately, things were about to get a whole lot worse.
Bruised Face
School started and in a few days, it was Liam's birthday. On the day of his birthday, he came home with a big bruise on his face.
His mother confronted Liam regarding the injury. He explained to his mother that he had fallen down the stairs which seemed highly unlikable.
Confrontation
A week passed by since the incident. Over this week Liam lost five more pounds. He looked frail and weak. Unable to see her child like this Deirdre once again confronted Liam.
They were in the kitchen when Deirdre begged Liam to tell her the truth. Nothing, however, could have prepared her for his response.
Bullying
Liam finally broke down and told his mother everything that has happened to him in the past months. He admitted to being bullied.
He confessed that it started when he joined the soccer team and has only gotten worse since then. Sometimes it would be just pushes but other times there would be kicks. He was insulted and body-shamed., being called fat and weird.
Cause Of Bruise
Liam was devastated. He was bullied on a daily basis which made him quit soccer. He further revealed the real cause of his bruise.
On the day of the incident, he was locking his gym locker when a boy came up to him suddenly and pushed his face against the locker. However, there was no witness to this.
Incompetent School Authorities
After the confrontation, Liam was admitted to the hospital again where he was diagnosed with depression and an eating disorder. Seeing the severity of the situation, the school launched an investigation finally.
Unfortunately, it wouldn't lead to anything which made Deirdre furious. She took to Facebook having received no help from the school authorities.
Better Days
Her post got viral. People reached out to her and showed their support in various forms. Liam finally started recovering and returned home.
He decided to return to school in spite of his suffering. He was able to communicate with his peers and was gaining confidence with each passing day. His courage and strength to face the difficulties with love are admirable.