Kind Is the New Cool

On April 25, 2018 Sandy Lundy’s 11-year old son Shane attempted to take his own life. He was being bullied at school. He was only 11 years old. He was bullied simply because of his deep passion for Broadway Theater. After being kept on life support for three days until organ recipients could be matched, Shane was gone forever. Instead of falling into the deep, dark abyss that calls out to her every day, Sandy has made it her life’s purpose to recognize and reward kids who stand up and speak out against bullying and promote kindness. According to Sandy, “Perhaps if someone spoke up about what was happening, because we know that people knew, Shane would still be here. Maybe if someone just said or did something nice to Shane, he would be with me right now.” Sandy has created a foundation in Shane’s name: Shane’s Imagine-Nation.

Kind Is the New Cool

Shane’s family was completely blindsided. According to Sandy, “I speak to my kids all the time about bullying. I honestly had no idea Shane was in such pain, and for the rest of my life I will be searching for answers to questions I know I’ll never find: What signs did I miss? How could I have saved my son’s life? I know I will never have answers, but this will not deter me from always searching for the answers.” Shane’s death has impacted thousands of people all over the world, because those that know Sandy have made it clear that if this can happen to one of her children, it can literally happen to anyone.

To that end, Sandy has dedicated her life to promoting kindness and recognizing and rewarding kids who stand up and speak out against bullying. Shane’s Imagine-Nation is currently in the process of becoming a 501c3 non-profit organization that will promote kindness and empower kids to take a more active role in bullying prevention.

 Sharing the Message

Sandy will be speaking at schools and organizations telling Shane’s story and has developed a variety of programs for all age groups. She has also created an online course about bullying as well as creating bullying prevention programs in the community. She is also in the process of writing a book about important life lessons Shane has taught her that is sure to resonate with many. According to Sandy, “I really thought I knew all I needed to know about bullying. I didn’t. The whole “kids being kids thing” is an antiquated mindset. Bullying has changed – a lot. And we simply cannot rely solely on the schools to address bullying because bullying happens everywhere. It does not just happen in the schools. And, as caring adults, it is our responsibility to take action because our strength lies in our collective action and understanding. Even more important, adults need to lead by example.”   If you would like to learn more about Shane and Shane’s Imagine-Nation: www.ShanesImagineNation.org. If you are interested in booking Sandy to speak at your school or organization, send an email to Sandy at  sandy@sandylundy.com.   

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Submitted by Somers, NY

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