Classmates Mock Girl Named Kelvin until Man with the Same Name Steps in and They Recognize Him — Story of the Day

A girl who was constantly bullied for having a boy's name entered a new world of nightmares when a man with the same name limped into her classroom.

Kelvin Parker, 13, and her mother, Cynthia, recently moved to Denver. Cynthia was transferred there, and before they settled down, she first enrolled Kelvin in her new school.

But the girl didn't like the idea and wanted to be homeschooled instead. Kelvin had fairly good grades, but she hated going to school because she had no friends. She would often be mocked for having a boy's name.

Whenever someone called Kelvin by her name and giggled, she felt she was being pelted with embarrassment. She was exposed to similar humiliations in her new school, but the real nightmare began when an unfamiliar man entered her classroom one day...

"Is there no option for homeschooling? I hate going to school, mom," Kelvin cried. It was her first day in her new school, and instead of being excited, the girl was carried away with negative thoughts. Cynthia encouraged Kelvin, saying things would fall in place soon.

"So, are you done mocking my daughter? You must be wondering why why I named her Kelvin Parker."

Fearing her new bullies, Kelvin got into her school bus. Although nothing much happened, the trauma began in class when the teacher called her to the front to introduce herself.

"Hi...I...I'm KELVIN PARKER, and I'm from — " But before Kelvin could finish, the class roared with laughter.

"What sort of name is that for a girl?!!" she heard someone say. "Is she a girl or a boy?" laughed another.

Kelvin became teary-eyed. She returned to her bench and sat, pretending to look at a book. She didn't want to cry in front of her bullies, so she ran to the restroom during the break and bawled.

But to her horror, the teasing wouldn't stop. Day by day, she amassed negative attention wherever she went. "Hey, look! Here comes Kelvin, the girl!" joked some. "It's a boy with pigtails!" mocked another.

Kelvin was hurt beyond belief. Although Cynthia saw how upset and gloomy her daughter looked every evening, she anticipated things would change soon. But it only worsened, especially when Kelvin was chucked out of a dance event.

"We are not having a boy dance in our girls' group...." the girl leading the group dance said. Kelvin loved dancing, but nobody saw her talent beyond her name.

Often, her bench would be doodled with weird drawings of a boy in pigtails and a skirt. Nobody sat with her for lunch. She read books alone in the library and had no friends to clear her doubts about their lessons.

Kelvin wanted to run away and not return, but she couldn't. Her mom often taught her to be bold and stand against the odds, but these humiliations were too much for her to handle.

One day, she was presenting a paper on gender equality in class. But when she started speaking, her bullies pointed at her and teased her. "Look...she was chosen to present a paper on this...what a coincidence KELVIN!" she heard someone scream.

The class burst into laughter, and the teacher could do nothing much to stop them. Just then, everyone heard loud footsteps behind them.

"Hello, everyone!" a man said as he limped into the classroom with the help of a walking stick.

The students stopped laughing and whispered, "Is he from the other department? And why is he handling middle school?"

The man appeared in front of the class. The name on his badge read: KELVIN PARKER and everyone was shocked.

"Is this what you've been taught? To bully an innocent child and laugh at her name?" he scolded. The class remained silent as Mr. Parker, grade 8's new chemistry teacher, began his lesson.

It was the first time Kelvin felt peace around her. Nobody called out her name and pulled her hair for fun. After class, she approached the teacher. "Thank you, Mr. Parker... I will not forget your help," she said.

The teacher patted her shoulder and walked away while the other students watched in disbelief. Kelvin assumed she would not be bullied anymore, but the next day was nightmarish.

"Here comes the daughter of our chemistry teacher!" a boy shouted on seeing Kelvin in the corridor. Everyone laughed, and soon, rumors started to spread that Kelvin was the chemistry teacher's daughter.

Each day, Kelvin had to deal with her bullies in silence. She wanted to tell Mr. Parker about this, but she felt it would only aggravate her trauma if he stood up for her again.

Kelvin's traumatic experiences continued for a long time until the parent-teacher meeting arrived. Cynthia revealed the truth behind her daughter's name at the conference, and this brought teachers to the teachers' eyes. They insisted she share this story with Kelvin's classmates.

That afternoon, Cynthia marched to her daughter's class with the other teachers to disclose the heartbreaking truth to everyone. She hoped this would put a period to the bullying her daughter had to endure.

"Hey, everyone!" Cynthia greeted the class. Kelvin was shocked to see her mother march onto the platform. "Hey, honey!" she waved as the students turned toward Kelvin. They were baffled and looked at each other.

"So, are you done mocking my daughter? You must be wondering why I named her Kelvin Parker," Cynthia said. "Well, she was named after her savior."

Cynthia revealed her daughter was stranded in a hurricane when she was three. "If it hadn't been for your chemistry teacher, Mr. Kelvin Parker, I would've lost my daughter that day," the mother cried.

As it turned out, Kelvin was trapped in a hurricane while playing at a park. She was right under a falling tree when Mr. Parker jumped to save her. He had covered the little girl to protect her from the falling tree. Although the child was saved, the man lost his ability to walk due to an injured leg.

"I don't think I was wrong for changing her name from Amber to Kelvin Parker in honor of the man who saved her life!" Cynthia said.

The class grew silent and speechless. Some sobbed while others looked at Kelvin and expressed their guilt. "I hope my daughter grows into a better person like her teacher and NOT LIKE HER BULLIES!" Cynthia added as she exited, smiling at Kelvin.

That day changed the girl's life for good. Those who had bullied her flocked to her and hugged her. "We're sorry, Kelvin!" they apologized. Later, the students also apologized to their chemistry teacher and felt sorry for everything they said behind his back.

Kelvin no longer hated going to school. She was happy and never returned home crying again, thanks to her mom for taking a stand for her!

What can we learn from this story?

• Do not judge anyone without knowing them thoroughly. When Mr. Kelvin Parker defended his namesake, her classmates spread rumors that she was his daughter. But later, they regretted judging both the teacher and the girl after learning he had saved her life and she was named after him.
• Take a stand for your child when you know it could ease their problems. Cynthia decided to put an end to her daughter's bullies in school. After the parent-teacher meeting, she visited Kelvin's class and revealed why her daughter was called Kelvin Parker, and her heartbreaking revelation stopped her daughter's bullies from taunting her further.

Click here to read about how a rude soccer team captain personally invited a boy with a prosthesis to his team after learning about his background.

This account is inspired by our reader's story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Please share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you want to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.