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Three young athletes from Wisconsin have won a prestigious award for defending a girl with Down Syndrome who was being bullied.

Middle School Athletes Defend Bullied Cheerleader With Down Syndrome

Youtube / Mike Bush

The Three Musketeers

Scooter Terrien, Chase Vasquez and Miles Rodriguez are best friends and basketball stars at Lincoln Middle School in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The three are so close that their schoolmates refer to them as the Three Musketeers.

One day, the Musketeers showed the true meaning of friendship when they took a stand together to help a fellow student who was being bullied.

Youtube / Mike Bush

Cheerleading Dreams

Desiree Andrews is also a student at Lincoln. Desiree, who has Down Syndrome, wanted nothing more than to be a cheerleader.

Her father told People magazine that Desiree was a huge fan of the TV show Glee, which featured a character with Down Syndrome who was a cheerleader. Her family was thrilled when she won a spot on the cheerleading squad.

Desiree Andrews
Photo: KDSK

Standing Up to Bullies

Unfortunately, some people at the basketball games didn’t think a girl with Down Syndrome should be cheerleading. One day, a group of these bullies began mocking Desiree.

When they noticed this, the Three Musketeers stopped the game, walked over to the bullies and told them to stop. They made it clear they wouldn’t allow anyone to pick on Desiree.

After that, the gymnasium at Lincoln Middle became known as “Dee’s house,” and chants about Dee’s house rang out at every game.

A Well-Deserved Award

The three basketball players received a Musial Award, which goes to athletes who have shown exceptional kindness and humanity. They traveled to St. Louis to receive the award.

The Results of the Bullying Were Horrific

According to the Daily Mail, the punch could have left him permanently blind if it had landed even an inch lower. His father, who is a nurse practitioner, said that his son will most likely suffer the psychological effects from this attack for the rest of his life. Plus, there is sure to be scarring from the glass that shattered around his eye.

Bullying Happened More than Once

While the worst attack on Nathaniel occurred on February 6, this was not the first incidence of bullying against him. On January 23, a schoolmate began punching Nathaniel seemingly for no reason. The next attack in February was actually caught on camera and shared via social media.

According to Derbyshire Live, Nathaniel sustained the punch directly to his face. The smashed glass gave him multiple cuts around his left eye and required him to receive 13 to 15 stitches. He also had to have a shard of glass removed from his eye.

Bullying Is Not Acceptable at School

Photographs posted by his mother, Amanda Dryden, on Facebook showed the damage as her son was in Derbyshire Hospital. She posted, “Bullying is not acceptable by any means.” Her posts have garnered numerous sympathetic comments and a sense of surprise that any child would stoop that low to hurt a schoolmate.

While bullying seems to be heating up in schools around the country, the Merrill Academy in Derby is dealing with this school bully assault as well as it can, utilizing its school behavior policy and keeping parents informed throughout the process. However, Nathaniel Dryden may be headed to a different school once his wounds are healed in hopes that a fresh start will accelerate his emotional recovery from this senseless act of bullying.