NORTH SALT LAKE, Utah — A vigil Friday night marked four years since the death of Izzy Tichenor, a Davis School District student who took her own life after being bullied at school.
Izzy's story led to a lot of change in the district, as well as pain and sorrow for her family in the years since her death.
"She said, 'Mom,' and I said, 'Yeah,' and she said, 'I just want to tell you you're the best mom in the whole wide world.' I didn't know that would be her last words to me," shared Brittany Tichenor, Izzy's mom.
Izzy Tichenor was just 10 years old at the time of her suicide.
"It's horrible. It's heartbreaking to me that you made somebody feel that low about themselves that they didn't want to be here," said Brittany.
What led to $2 million settlement with family of 'Izzy' Tichenor?
Izzy's mom said four years later, she's still struggling following the loss of her young daughter.
"I don't want anybody to have to go through losing a child," she said. "Especially in this manner."
During the vigil, people gathered across from Foxboro Elementary School, where Izzy attended, projecting pictures of her on the building.
"She told me she was getting bullied by kids in her class and that her teacher told her she stunk in front of the whole class, and before she went to school that day, she sprayed herself with Febreze and started crying and said 'they were making fun of me,'" said Brittany.
Following racial discrimination allegations, including what happened to Izzy, the Davis School District settled with the family for $2 million, with stipulations about better training and creating ways to receive and respond to complaints.
But Brittany wants schools to do more.
"If you care for kids, I don't care what color their skin is, or if they have a disability or if they're autistic, it's your job to love on them," she said,
Those who participated in Izzy's vigil lit candles, prayed, and shared mental health resources..
[gregory noel // licensed marriage and family therapist]
"Just as much as we're trying to look out for our kids, our kids are unfortunately trying to look out for us," said marriage and family therapist Gregory Noel. "So for us as parents, we have to be able to go beyond the surface of 'Oh, school's good, I'm hanging out with my friends.'"
Noel hopes Izzy's death can help prevent others.
"We're standing together as a community and saying, this is such an unfortunate, disheartening experience. But what do we do to prevent these types of experiences so we can make them something that is more of any outlier? Than something that is consistent and rampant in our society?" he asked.
Friday was the final vigil Brittany plans to host in her daughter's honor to mark the anniversary of her death, but said she will never stop fighting for kids and families.
