High school football players stand up for bullied special-needs girl

Chy Johnson, 16, was born with a brain disorder called microcephaly. Her condition makes her an easy target for bullies at her Arizona high school.

The sophomore's school experience is different this year, however, thanks to a protective football team keeping those bullies away.

Fed up with seeing her daughter picked on, Chy's mother, Elizabeth Johnson, called a family friend for help: Carson Jones, the school's football team's starting quarterback.

"I emailed Carson and told him Chy was having some issues," Elizabeth Johnson told AZFamily.com. "I just wanted names...but he took it a step further and went and gathered her at lunch. And she's been eating with them ever since!"

All day long, members of the undefeated Queen Creek High School football team keep close watch over Chy. The bullying has stopped completely.

Chy is a regular on the sidelines, cheering on "my boys," and was recently named Queen Creek High School "Fan of the Week."

"They're not bullying her anymore because they've seen her with us or something," Jones said.

"It feels good to know that we helped someone else, because you know, we're doing good, everything for us is going well, but someone else needs to feel good, too," Tucker Workman, a player on the team, told AZFamily.com.

"They're not mean to me, because all my boys love me," said Chy. "So much."

Chy was diagnosed with microcephaly when she was six months old. Her mother claims that while Chy was expected to be a vegetable at this age, "she has exceeded all expectations thus far and will continue to blow them outta the water."

The life expectancy of those afflicted with the disease is 25-30.

The Arizona State Legislature will be acknowledging Chy Johnson and Carson Jones for their anti-bullying efforts in 2013.