Anti-Bullying Story and tactic purpose of the foundation/blog awareness!

 

 

My name is Bridget Winandy. I am a 31 year-old living in San Diego, California, originally from Northbrook, IL (right outside of Chicago). I had a stroke (in-utero) before I was born on September 17, 1982. My stroke was discovered after 6 months of testing at the age of 10 months old. I started physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy ASAP. I have continued all forms of therapy for years.

Today, is the start of Anti-bullying month (October). BULLYING is unfortunately; a big part of my life. My town in Illinois was small enough where everyone knew my story and judged and perceived me in a certain negative way. I have also experienced bullying while living in San Diego. Children that I grew-up teased me and bullied me into silence. In 3^rd Grade, 1993, I was already a team builder and wanted to include everyone in my “BIG” ideas of the world. One of those ideas was to create a skit of a twist of Cinderella. My favorite Disney Princess. I was included for the first part because it was an idea of mine that I brought to the table. Our skit; us third graders were performing for the Kindergartens' and 1^st & 2^nd Grade Classes. We did this during class time and all the students watching the skit appreciated the performance. For anyone who knows my personality; I love acting/singing/dancing. However; one of the girls, to remain nameless to protect her name, pulled me aside at Recess one day to tell me that I was not wanted anymore by anyone to participate in the skit performance. I can still remember her bullying me by taking me aside at Recess and having a great day but it being ruined by her way of approaching and speaking for everyone that I was not wanted.

This was one of the first reasons on why I became silent towards my peers in school. I felt unwanted and that they wanted to take my idea and all my work and run with it afterwards. An idea of a slacker wanting to look like they created the idea but really they did not. To the story; no, I stuck up for myself and said it was my idea and that I was a huge influence to why this skit performance existed. Needless to say; once the skit ended, I was out casted by all those girls. They became a good version of the “Mean Girls”. I rarely to ever spoke to them again. Fortunately; the girl that pulled me aside moved in 5^th Grade. I moved for 9^th Grade.

 

I am very excited to see that now that they have an anti-bullying awareness month to create awareness. Over the years people have made statements to me; “grow some thicker skin” or become “less sensitive”.

I hope that at some point those people understand; I do have incredible thick skin to take on bullies and move forward at some point. My “thick skin” has always been focused on my education and my health. I choose to use my “thick skin” to encourage a “GOOD LIFE” not focus on the bullies that try to bully me into silence.

There is still a lack gap for Stroke and awareness of what percentage of bullying occurs to us survivors due to having a stroke. This is why I started the foundation; to help raise awareness of what a stroke is, so people understand and decrease the bullying percentage of disabilities. I hope awareness of understanding turns into people encouraging us survivors to inspire a dream or live life without fear of bullying tactics.

I worked in fundraising for 7.5 years and actively volunteering for organizations for the past 12 years. Today, I still see and have experienced a lack of support and resourceful information. I want to make the world a better place by using my experience, starting a foundation & blog and information to close that lack gap.