Shea Shawhan of Plano, TX, is a special needs high school student. She is 18 years-old, but has the mental capacity of a child. During birth, oxygen was cut off from her brain, causing this condition and for Shea to experience seizures.
Shea is a junior at Plano West Senior High School, where she plays softball and is a member of the cheer squad. However, being a happy teenager and eager to participate didn’t protect her from evil, vicious bullies at her school.
8 months ago, Shea started receiving hateful messages on her iPhone. They make fun of her disability, her clothes and say much worse.
Some texts tell her to “go die” and that she is a slut. Others tell her she is friendless.
“She’s so sweet and I’m so frustrated I can’t find out who it is. I just want to find that parent and say, ‘What did you do? Do you know your child is doing this?’” her mother said.
The texts are being sent anonymously from randomly-generated phone numbers, making finding the culprits difficult.
How children are able to be so cruel a girl, especially one with special needs, is bewildering.
In an effort to stop the bullying, Keri Riddell has changed Shea’s phone number and blocked many of the fake numbers, but messages keep getting through.
Shea’s story has been traveling around the state and Internet, inspiring others to give her support.
Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks even reached out to her, helping her feel loved and be protected from the bullies.
It’s difficult not to be enraged by the vicious bullies who torment Shea day in and day out. Thankfully, other students are beginning to stand behind her now that they know what is happening.
There’s even a Facebook page called I’m With Shea, dedicated to stopping not only her bullying but all bullying.