A mum lost 20 stone after being fitted with a gastric band but killed herself as a torrent of online abuse continued to pour in. Kelly Burndred, 37, had been bullied all her life over her size.
She peaked at 30st but after the operation she slimmed to 10st – and ran a half marathon. But instead of happiness, Kelly grew more depressed.
And her family believe it was taunting by Facebook trolls who pushed her to the brink. After years of being insulted for being heavy she faced a new wave of abuse from strangers for having the £6,000 op on the NHS. Trolls saw her profile through friends and sent messages via the Facebook Messenger app.
Unable to cope, she killed herself after sending her mum a text with a link to the Queen hit You’re My Best Friend. Kelly’s grief-stricken family, including daughter Jessica, 15, are now trying to achieve something positive from her death.
They have launched Kelly’s Legacy to help people with mental health issues, and teamed up with charity Mind to set up a website and helpline. And they want tighter regulations from web giants to tackle online abuse and bullying.
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