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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 Attack

On January 17, 2019, Sandra Davidson received a call saying that her son had been hit at school and had taken a nasty fall. He was unconscious and being taken to the hospital. Once there, doctors discovered that Neo Hobbs had bleeding on the brain, and he was quickly transported to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City hundreds of miles away.

The damage was readily apparent. Not only did he have a brain bleed with bruising, but also his skull was fractured in multiple places.

The Treatment

According to Fox 13 News, Neo remained in a coma for days but is now responsive. However, due to the brain damage sustained in the attack, he will have to relearn many of the most basic acts of daily living, such as walking, talking and feeding himself. He will need months of physical therapy and will almost certainly remain in the hospital for at least two months.

The Aftermath

Life may never be the same for Neo, and the Elko school district has yet to clear up matters. According to Newsner, the school district has been doing its best to downplay the situation, saying that the injuries were from some punches and a fall.

On the other hand, Neo’s lawyers maintain that something much more than that had to happen. Looking at what happened to Neo’s skull and brain, it seems apparent that he had to have been hit with something.

Neo’s mother, his lawyers and others engaged in this school bully attack will have to wait until Neo can tell his side of the story. Additionally, the bully has yet to be identified. Until that time, the family appreciates all donations made to the Neo Hobbs GoFundMe page.