The day Everyday hero host Bill Murphy met Vanessa Dockery she was having some family time with kid sister, Jessica, kid brother, Brandon, and pet bunny, Rosa.

A fun day for all, but for 12 year old Vanessa there were many painful days.

Several years ago her school lunchroom included older kids.

“The high school kids would make fun of me and call me ‘fat’ and ‘chipmunk’ and all that stuff, and it was so hard that I would have to eat outside,” Dockery said.

A person of deep faith she was also bullied because of her beliefs.

At times it became almost more than she could take.

“There were a lot of times in school where I just felt like giving up.  Just like whatever.  I felt so down.  But I said, no, I’m not going to let them overpower me.  So I never gave up,” Dockery said.

Instead of giving up she became an advocate against bullying, and took to song writing and performing on her YouTube site. Her most personal song, ‘Be You.’

Some of the lyrics:

       Why are people so mean, just think about it.

       They hurt you for no reason and they tease you

       just for fun, they bully you until you cry.

“I want to inspire people who do get bullied and they don’t know what to do because when I used to get bullied I was kind of like why are they so mean to me?  But as time passes, I learned how to handle it.

 

Her stand against bullying is for life.

 

“I don’t feel like I’m a hero,” Dockery laughed.  “But that would mean a lot because I like making other happy.”