Featured in an ad campaign for Australian hat company Akubra when she was 8, Amy "Dolly" Everett was the face of the unmistakable outback hat, the BBC reports. Last week, at the age of 14, Dolly killed herself. "I know for some suicide is considered cowardly but I guarantee those people wouldn't have half the strength that my precious little angel had," Dolly's father, Tick Everett, posted Sunday on Facebook. "Doll had the strength to do what she thought she had to do to escape the evil in this world." Dolly's family says she committed suicide after suffering from bullying but didn't offer any specifics. "Bullying of any type is unacceptable," Akubra posted Monday on Facebook. "It is up to us to stand up when we see any kind of bullying behavior."
In a statement released to the media on Wednesday, Dolly's family remembered her as "the kindest, caring, beautiful soul": "She was always caring for animals, small children, other children at boarding school who were less fortunate than herself." They also noted a recent drawing she made that bore the message, "Stand up, speak even if your voice shakes," ABC of Australia reports. "This powerful message tells the dark, scary place our beautiful angel had traveled to," her family states. The family is hoping to establish a fund called "Dolly's Dream" to increase awareness of bullying and youth suicide. Everett says he hopes the focus on Dolly's death can "help other precious lives from being lost." He also invited Dolly's bullies to her funeral to "witness the complete devastation you have created." (More bullying stories.)
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