A neighbor posted pictures of a girl’s burned face online to make fun of her. Three bikers showed up at the girl’s home the night the neighbor shared the photos. The girl’s name is Lily, and she is nine years old. Four months earlier, a grease fire occurred in her kitchen while her mother was in the garage. Lily ran into the kitchen to rescue her two-year-old brother and carried him out safely. Unfortunately, Lily suffered severe burns, losing most of the skin on one side of her face. Since then, she has had three surgeries and wears a pressure mask most of the day. Some nights, she still asks her mother if she looks ugly, and her mother reassures her that she does not.
On a Tuesday, the neighbor, Dale Pruitt, took pictures of Lily through their front window while she was doing homework without her mask. He shared those pictures in a neighborhood group with a caption that mocked her appearance. The post received laughter from forty-two people, and someone later shared it on a larger page. By Thursday, Lily faced bullying at school, with kids holding their phones up to her in the hallway. Devastated, she locked herself in the bathroom, and her mother waited outside for two hours.
That night, Lily’s mother went to Dale’s house. Dale laughed off her concerns, claiming it was just a joke and suggested that she should keep her curtains closed if she wanted privacy. Feeling defeated, she went home. Then, on Saturday night, three bikers stood on her porch. The tallest one, named Ray, asked if this was where the girl from the pictures lived. When she told him to leave, he remained. He slowly took off his leather gloves and showed her his hands, which were covered in old burn scars. He mentioned that many others had seen the post.
Ray then walked across the street and knocked on Dale’s door. When Dale opened it, Ray calmly took the phone from Dale’s hand, showing him the picture of Lily still on the screen. He urged Dale to look at what he was laughing at, but Dale only glanced away. Ray shared his own experience of being burned while saving two children in a fire years ago. He explained that he still remembers the face of someone who mocked him after his injuries.
Dale became defensive, stating it was just a joke and that people were too sensitive. Ray handed the phone back, telling him to delete the post.
What do you think about how the bikers handled the situation?
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Source: bikersbyte.com, by David Hog