Doing it for DOLLY

DOLLY SUFFERED IN SILENCE, BUT HER SISTER IS ENCOURAGING YOUNG PEOPLE TO SPEAK OUT

- Emma Levett

Meg and Dolly Everett grew up hundreds of kilometres from anywhere, deep on a remote cattle station in the Northern Territory. They loved mustering livestock and riding their horses along the creek against the stunning backdrop of red earth and clear blue sky. They’d often go for weeks at a time without seeing other kids and it meant the girls, who were just two years apart in age, forged the closest of relationships – they were best friends as well as sisters.

In January 2018 that all changed. Like many rural families, the girls left home as teenagers to attend boarding school where Dolly was subjected to a vicious campaign of bullying. Having told nobody about her plight, Dolly took her own life, aged just 14. It was a moment that struck deep into the hearts of Australian families everywhere and the outpouring of grief and horror led Dolly’s parents, Tick and Kate, to create a legacy to try to prevent another such tragic death.

“It’s OK to speak even if your voice shakes” – MEG EVERETT

“Mum and Dad wanted to raise awareness on a national level,” Meg Everett, 21, tells WHO exclusively. “They wanted to shine a light on people who are struggling and to say it’s OK to speak even if your voice shakes.”