LAMPASAS, TX -- A junior at Lampasas High School is refusing to be the victim of bullying -- instead using her experience to make a difference.
Dannie McMillan, 16, said she was in study hall when she was texted a screen shot of a twitter page another student made that called her a "fat whale" and had an image of a whale superimposed over her face.
"The moment I got out of that classroom, I just started crying," Dannie said. "I was just really upset. I think I got angry after a little bit. But, at first I was just so embarrassed."
Dannie exchanged Facebook messages with plus-size model Laura Lee, who she admires.
"I jokingly told her: part of me wants to cry all day. And, the other part of me wants to get a t-shirt with a whale on it and wear it to school to show that they can't get to me," Dannie explained. "And, she was like 'oh, we should.'"
With Lee's support, Dannie used a website called Booster to design custom t-shirts that read: 'Dee the Fat Whale Saves the Whales.' Shirt purchases will benefit the California-based nonprofit Save the Whales organization.
As of March 13, Dannie had raised more than $500 between t-shirt sales and donations to her gofundme page. Those who purchased t-shirts will receive them after the fundraiser concludes near the end of March.
"I just want her to be happy and successful in what she does and be proud of what she does," Dannie's father Trey McMillan told KCEN.
The twitter page mocking Dannie has since been removed.
