My Story
My name is Eric Erdman and this is my story.
"I know I am on borrowed time. Each day I have left on this earth is another day I raise my voice for many boys and girls who suffer in silence. It's a hard fight to end child abuse, bullying, and life-threatening illnesses in children. But we have to try. We have to keep pushing. The more people who get involved, who join the fight, to give a child a voice, is one more step closer to making this world a better place." Eric Erdman
Do not allow your past define your future
Learn what is bullying: stopbullying.gov
Bullying
Most bullying takes place in school, outside on school grounds, and on the school bus. Bullying also happens wherever kids gather in the community, and of course, cyberbullying occurs on cell phones and online.
Between 1 in 4 U.S. students say they have been bullied at school.
"I was bullied because my peers looked at me as being different. I was pulled out of class on a regular basis for extra help because I had developmental delays from being born at 1lb. 15 oz. In schools teachers need to be more aware of what a child goes through especially when they have development delays. Unfortunately kids can be cruel.
One of my developmental delays was speech, teachers need to be more aware of what a child goes through by peers and allow the specialist to do their job.
When a child is already being bullied, to single them out in front of their peers on a daily basis to roll their "r"'s properly and not be allowed to say a word that begins with a "r" without emphasizing the rolling of the "r" throughout an entire school year, is wrong. Every child just wants to be liked and wants to just feel normal. This action by the teacher only added to the bullying." Eric Erdman
Child Abuse
The United States has one of the worst records of Child Abuse among industrialized nations - losing on average between four and seven children every day to child abuse neglect.
A Report of Child abuse is made every ten seconds.
"Being bullied and then abused as a child made me so introverted. I struggled to find my voice for so many years. For me it took being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness and an overwhelming amount of community support to find my voice.
When I was younger I was afraid of people not believing me and even getting my abuser in trouble with authorities.
It is wrong for anyone to put their hands on someone else, especially a child. I know now that I should have spoke out from day one. No one deserves to have their life and their personality be altered in an unhealthy way from the hands of someone else, especially someone who is to suppose to love and protect you.
Learn from me and please please SPEAK OUT. Become the author of your own story, don't allow someone to steal that from you.
I finally became the author of my story and finding my voice has helped me no longer be a victim to my past." Eric Erdman
Life-threatening illness
There are an estimated 27,000 children in the United States diagnosed each year with a life-threatening illness, between 3-19 years of age.
Cancer is the most common cause of death by disease for children in the U.S.
Childhood Cancer
In the United States an estimated 15,780 children between birth and 19 years of age are diagnosed with cancer.
1 in 285 children in the U.S. will be diagnosed with Cancer before they are 20.
Every three minutes a child is diagnosed with cancer somewhere in the world.
Learn what is child abuse: childwelfare.gov
Removed
A 10-year-old girl navigates her way through the foster care system, after being removed from her home and separated from her younger brother.
Director Nathanael Matanick