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Family testifies to 'ugly truth of bullying' after daughter's suicide

The family of Bismarck teenager Cherish "Chance" Houle used her obituary to urge others to confront bullying, an "ugly truth" that caused their daughter "intense pain."

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By
Kris Kerzman
BISMARK, IDAHO — The family of Bismarck teenager Cherish "Chance" Houle used her obituary to urge others to confront bullying, an "ugly truth" that caused their daughter "intense pain."

Houle was 12. She died from suicide on Saturday, March 31, according to the obituary published to the website of Eastgate Funeral and Cremation Service in Bismarck.

"Cherish's family and support systems want the public to be aware of her situation in hopes that it will prevent tragedies such as this from occurring again," the obituary reads. "They are asking that parents talk to their children and find out answers to hard question. Are they being bullied? Are they the bully? Have they witnessed bullying and it broke their heart, but they were glad they weren't the target today? Did they not know what to do and walked away?"

The obituary also details the crushing blow the suicide dealt on the family.

"The ugly truth of bullying is someone who loved Cherish had to open the bedroom door and see what they saw on Saturday. The ugly truth of bullying is those who loved Cherish can't close their eyes at night because they can't get the image out of their head. The ugly truth of bullying is doing CPR for 4 minutes and 26 seconds. It's listening to 911 operator tell you to go faster and push harder. It's knowing that you didn't open the door early enough for it to matter anyway. It's that Cherish isn't here anymore."

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