First lady invites teen from Gilbert to visit D.C.
After standing up to her bullies online, a Gilbert teen is heading to the White House to meet first lady Melania Trump.
Kalani Goldberg, 13, covered herself with adhesive notes in a video posted in February. The notes contained words bullies have called her.
Kalani’s voice is strong at the start of the 1-minute clip, but ultimately wavers and cracks near the end as she breaks down in tears.
“Ugly, stupid, dumb. These are just a few of the things you call me. Every day you say these things about me,” Kalani says. “Every day, I wear your words.”
In the video, Goldberg pleaded for the bullies to stop hurting her.
Kalani has been invited to the May 7 launch of Melania Trump’s chosen initiative as first lady, which is expected to focus on the overall well-being of children.
Regina and Jared Goldberg told their daughter about the invitation at dinner recently.
“I think she was in shock; she was speechless,” Regina said. “She couldn’t believe it.”
Her mother said Kalani started to cry out of excitement.
They are waiting for additional details from the White House about the event and the itinerary, Regina said.
Even after posting the video, Kalani is still being bullied, her mother said.
But before the video, Kalani would ignore her bullies, and now she is standing up for herself and telling bullies how they are making her feel.
“She is handling it quite well,” Regina said. “She is doing it in such a way that makes me so proud.”
According to her mother, Kalani is a non-confrontational person, but Regina believes the encouragement her daughter has received since the video went viral is giving her courage.
People around the world have sent encouragement to the teen. She was featured in news stories written as far away as Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
“I think that is where her newfound confidence and courage comes from, because she doesn’t feel alone anymore,” Regina said.
Gilbert Mayor Jenn Daniels is one of Kalani’s new supporters. She recognized the teen’s courage and created a #HaveCourageBeKind day in Gilbert in Kalani’s honor.
Kalani told Daniels that she feels a lot of people are standing behind her now, Regina said.