Corey Maison is happy now, but fifth grade was a nightmare for her. When she was younger, Corey was bullied by her classmates to the point where one even told her that if she killed herself, no one would care. At 14, though, Corey found happiness and new friends all because her family and her new school accept her as a transgender girl.

In a now-viral video, Corey is posted in the girls’ bathroom at her new school, holding up note cards that track her transition from bullied and sad to happy and glowing.

Corey shows in her video that she never fit in with her peers when she was younger. She was shunned by girls and teased by boys, and even laughed at by adults later on.

“I felt so stupid. Like a freak,” Corey’s notes say. “Like a misfit.”

Eventually, the bullying got so bad that her parents pulled her out of public school and opted to home school her instead.

That’s when Corey’s mom did something that changed everything.

“One day my mom told me to come watch something online,” the video says. "It was a documentary about a girl named Jazz Jennings. She was a beautiful girl...that had been born a boy!! I said to my mom, ‘OMG, I’m just like her, I AM a girl!!’”

That’s when Corey realized that there was nothing wrong with her, she’s transgender. At 14, Corey started taking hormones to transition into a female, a day she described as the best of her life.

Now, Corey is happy and back in public school. This time, though, she’s at a school where her peers and teachers accept her. She plays on the girls’ soccer team and uses the girls’ bathroom, just as she should.

This acceptance is so important. Though 41% of transgender people will attempt suicide at some point in their lives, we know that support and love from their community can help prevent that. Even though Corey overcame a lot at a young age, she’s found happiness and love from those around her. That's the message that Corey passes along to other transgender kids who might see the video: someday it will get better and you can live your best life as your true self, just like Corey is doing now.

Related: You Need to Watch This Video Made by Moms of Transgender Teens

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