Teen catwalk star reveals bullies made her school life hell and told her ‘You are going to die alone’
SHE has graced the catwalks in the US and modelled for high-end fashion designers, but teenager Emma Gavin has revealed that she was bullied for four years at primary school.
The 15-year-old from Co Kildare, was crowned Miss Worldwide Teen Ambassador in Chicago last month after she had agreed to lend her support to the Live Out Loud Charity, which highlights suicide prevention.
She opened up for the first time last weekend about how she was cruelly taunted by bullies.
Speaking at the launch of Addiction Recovery Ireland, a campaign to highlight addiction and suicide awareness, the teenager said her bullies used to leave messages on her voicemail, saying: ‘We hope you die alone.’
Emma told the Irish Mail on Sunday that her years at primary school in Maynooth were ‘horrific’.
‘It happened in primary school when I was seven and it went all the way up to sixth class until I was 11,’ she said.
‘They would say really, really nasty things to me. They said I was ugly and fat. I was really self-conscious about my weight. They would leave voicemails on my phone, saying, “You’re going to die alone.” It was horrible.’
Emma eventually told her mother when she was 11, after she couldn’t take any more.
‘She got hold of the school and my parents went to see the teachers.’
Two years ago, Emma got involved in Teen Pageants to help with her self-confidence.
‘I did a pageant and I won it. The pageant director got in touch with Sherrie Gearheart, who is the director of the Live Out Loud Charity, which focuses on suicide awareness.
‘Sherrie had lost her friend to suicide and set up the charity in America as a result. She invited me to walk in her show two years ago and I did it again this year – this time I was I crowned Ms Worldwide Teen Ambassador.
‘Then I was asked to model for several designers over there, including Alex Lejeune and Amy Hazel Quao.’
Emma is now supporting Addiction Recovery Ireland, which has announced plans to offer free counselling to people who are suicidal.
She said: ‘I’m really happy now that I got involved and I want to help other people.
‘People my age, the smallest things can make a teenager feel like the end of the world. It’s a difficult age and I want to show life will go on and it will get better. It has made me stronger.’