by Bethany Dumbleton

“I wanted to turn my negative experience into a positive experience and help other girls who were having a similar experience.“

Johnai Price, who is now 15 years old, decided to use her negative experience with bullying as a way to help others.

Johnai started her organization, D.O.P.E (Despite Opposition Pursue Excellence) Butterfly when she was just 12-years-old. She recalls being bullied about her size from the time she was only 8-years-old, being called fat, hippo, and earthquake. She remembers being pushed into a locker and the bullying was so bad that she refused to eat her lunch in the lunchroom for 3 months. Her parents, John and Elise, took action when they found out Johnai was wanting to end her life.

Johnai makes a difference!

After receiving help herself, Johnai decided she was not going to stay in a victim mentality, rather, she would help other girls who are experiencing the same difficulties. WOW!

Johnai’s favorite thing about running her organization is that it makes her feel better about her negative experience,

“Because I healed through helping others.“

What does D.O.P.E Butterfly do?

Despite Opposition Pursue Excellence-

Johnai told me,

“I put together a box with items that I feel helped me feel better about myself. A journal, mirror, little lip gloss, inspirational card, and a letter from me. I also have gone out on a few speaking engagements where I spoke to parents and children.”

Johnai’s next goal is to have a weekend retreat or slumber party at a hotel with herself and 15 other girls with a speaker and workshops to help empower them. She explains how COVID shut down what would have been her annual DOPE Day for the last two years and is hoping to do the slumber party as a replacement!

The ultimate goal

Johnai loves what she does and knows that God created her for a purpose. Elisa, Johnai’s mom, calls her “God’s gift.”  Johnai would like to be a counselor someday, and we know she would be great at it!

“I just want Schools and people in positions to make a difference to understand that there’s no one definition of bullying. Everyone’s experience is their own. No one’s experience is more significant than anothers.”

Young and fearless

I asked her what she would ultimately like to tell people and her response couldn’t have been better.

“Hurt people hurt people. When you allow others to project negative things onto you they get power over you. Parents talk to your children and children don’t be afraid to open up to your parents about their feelings and what is happening.”

Johnai is currently trying to grow her organization. She does not have anything set up formally for donations currently, however, you can contact her on her Facebook page to see how you can support her – DOPE Butterfly Despite Opposition Pursue Excellence.

Bethany Dumbleton is the Chief Operations Officer for Counter Culture mom. She is first and foremost a devoted follower of Jesus Christ.

Her husband and two children are her main ministry which overflows into her life ministry. She knows that our children follow our example. She strives to help parents grow in Christ, so they may shepherd their children biblically.

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