Norm Todd, the father of bullied teen Amanda Todd, is keeping his daughter’s memory alive and finally speaking out about his little girl’s untimely death.
As a special tribute to his daughter, Norm will get a “Stay Strong” tattoo on his arm – a sentiment dear to Amanda’s heart.
STORY: After Her Suicide, Bullies Continue To Haunt Amanda Todd’s Memory Page
Before her death, Amanda wanted to get the tat to reflect the motto she adopted after years of bullying and harassment – both online and in real life.
She recently asked her father Norm to accompany her to a tattoo shop. Both were planning to get tattoos representing the Chinese symbol for strength, while Amanda was also going to get another tattoo, one with the words “Stay Strong” on her arm.
Now, Norm will go alone to get the tattoo, the last thing he can do for his daughter who died last Wednesday in an apparent suicide.
“She always said stay strong and that was her symbol and I want that to carry on,” he said.
As reported by The Vancouver Sun:
Amanda’s mother Carol said her daughter chose ‘Stay Strong’ because that’s what Demi Lovato, an American pop singer, X-Factor judge and anti-bullying advocate has tattooed on her wrist. Lovato is speaking on anti-bullying at this week’s We Day event in Vancouver.
Amanda, who lived with her mother in their Port Coquitlam home, recorded a YouTube video a month before her death in which she chronicled the relentless bullying that carried from cyberspace to the schoolyard.
At the time of her death, the video had 3,000 views, and Norm said she had been proud of the impact it was having. The video, posted under her YouTube identity TheSomebodytoknow, now has chalked up close to four million views.
“She was very courageous and I really love that she made that video,” said Norm.
“She told me why she made it — she wanted to send a message out so that it wouldn’t happen to someone else, so no one would have to go through what she went through. . . .
“She did that on her own and her message is being delivered now. It makes me happy that her voice is still alive and being heard.
“No matter how many haters there are out there, they can’t hurt her now and her message can keep on going strong. That gives me some peace.”
Norm said he felt helpless as a parent. He watched as his daughter was stalked online and beaten up at school and felt powerless to save her:
“I think they should take the matter of stalking a child more seriously and not wait until it becomes such a big problem…I think it’s an area that is going to grow and continue to grow and until we put more effort and resources into things that need it, it’s not going to stop and the problem is just going to get bigger.”
Norm said he would like to see schools impose greater consequences for bullies, whether they be in school or online:
“I would like to see when somebody bullies there is a no-tolerance rule and that the bully is removed from that school immediately…It gets reviewed immediately and it is dealt with in the highest standard and that child is looked out for and protected and taken care of…”
Amanda’s father is doing his best to keep his daughter’s memory alive – the only thing he can do at a time like this.
SOURCE: Vancouver Sun
