The family of an Australian teenager who took her own life after being constantly bullied online has urged the trolls responsible to attend her funeral service to witness for themselves the misery and sorrow they have caused as part of a social media campaign to raise greater awareness surrounding online bullying and harassment.
In a statement given to ABC on January 10, 2018, Tick and Kate Everett together with daughter Meg thanked the Northern Territory community of Katherine for the "overwhelming response we have received since our world came crashing down around us when our beautiful Dolly left our family."
Let us grieve
They asked for time to celebrate Dolly's life. "This is all we are capable of at the moment and ask for your respect to give us time to grieve," the family said in the wake of her death on January 3, 2018.
Paying tribute to Dolly, they described her as the "kindest, caring, beautiful soul, and she was always caring for animals, small children, other children at boarding school were less fortunate than herself."
"Out of all the sadness that the loss of our daughter has brought to our lives, we feel that through losing Dolly we would like to help other families by making an awareness of bullying and harassment that some people are sadly subjected to," the statement continued.
Dolly's dream
Their goal is now to establish a trust called "Dolly's Dream" to help raise awareness of bullying, anxiety, depression and youth suicide.
On social media people have been using the hashtags #stopbullyingnow and #doitforDolly.A profile picture provided by her family has now been shared more than 1,000 on Facebook as the campaign gathers momentum.
"Before Dolly died, she completed a drawing and wrote the words 'Stand up, speak even if your voice shakes," the victim's family said. "This powerful message tells the dark, scary place our beautiful angel had travelled to."
The family statement continued: "We are not concerned with the who or the why of who pushed our daughter to this point, we just want to save another family going through the sadness and tragedy that our family is experiencing."
Earlier on the social media site Facebook, Dolly's father insisted his daughter's life "will not be wasted" and he hoped it would prevent other families suffering from a similar fate."Unfortunately Dolly will never know the great pain and emptiness left behind," he wrote before challenging her trolls to attend the funeral scheduled to take place on January 12.
"If by some chance the people who thought this was a joke and made themselves feel superior by the constant bullying and harassment see this post, please come to our service and witness the complete devastation you have created."
Iconic hat company Akubra posted its own message of support along with a photograph taken of Dolly eight years ago in its annual Christmas campaign.The company wrote: "To think that anyone could feel so overwhelmed and that is their only option is unfathomable. Bullying of any type is unacceptable."
Dolly had been a pupil at the boarding school at Scots PGC College in Warwick, Queensland, like many students living in rural parts had to move away from the family home to gain her education.
Kyle Thompson, principal of Scots PGC College, confirmed a team of dedicated counsellors would be available to support students when they return later this month. The school is also proposing to stage its own commemorative service.
Following Dolly's death friends and supporters have taken to social media to voice their sadness while some even shared their own experiences with bullying and mental health.
Rachel Rohde posted: "Please tell your children about Dolly and please, please teach them to be kind, tolerant, understand. There are so many different characters in this life we live, we can't get on with everyone but we can make a decision to mind our own and walk on."
