DEMOPOLIS — Every step Jasmine Adams took toward her daughter on Saturday seemed to take more of an effort than the one before.

With her boyfriend Marjunna Richardson holding her arm, Adams took a deep breath each time she moved closer to her 9-year-old daughter, McKenzie, who wore a silver tiara as she lay inside an open casket in the gym of U.S. Jones Elementary School. A couple of hundred people in the audience looked on.

Approaching the white casket from a few feet away, Adams’ steps became slower, her breathing more intense.

Standing at her daughter’s side, the weight of her daughter’s death was too much to bear for Adams. With Richardson letting go of her, Adams began to wail. A wreath of flowers with the words “You are loved, little one” was next to the casket as Adams was consoled by Richardson and other members of the family.

McKenzie died on Dec. 3 after relatives said she hanged herself in the family home. The family says McKenzie's death followed months of being bullied by her classmates at U.S. Jones. Adams and other family members believe bullying led an otherwise happy girl to take her own life. While officials with Demopolis City Schools have maintained they never knew of any bullying McKenzie allegedly endured, police in both Demopolis and Linden are investigating the family's claims.

Richardson held Adams, rocking her back and forth, as the Rev. Dewayne Charleston of Gilfield Baptist Church spoke.

“If you have to cry, let it out because this is a hard deal for anyone to go through, but we know that God is on our side, so everything will be all right,” Charleston said.

While many people in the audience came to pay their respects to McKenzie, many offered support to Adams and the family. The Class of 2007 of Linden High School presented Adams with a plaque to honor McKenzie. Many of them wore buttons with a picture with McKenzie, along with the words “Stop Bullying.”

For McKenzie’s aunt, Eddwina Harris, the days since McKenzie’s death have been hard.

“My heart is broken,” Harris said. “There are so many people that are here showing their love and support for the family and we’re grateful, but it’s been a really hard day.”

While the impact of McKenzie's death has been felt in Demopolis, in the last two weeks McKenzie’s story has been shared countless times around the world through social media, news articles and TV interviews.

“It’s touching that one little 9-year-old girl has changed the lives and minds of so many people and it’s going to stick with us for the rest of our lives,” Harris said.

Harris has used McKenzie’s death to draw more attention to the issue of bullying in schools. She is in a process of starting an organization called the McKenzie Foundation, which has raised more than $9,000 on www.gofundme.com. Harris hopes she and others can honor McKenzie’s memory by making sure that what happened to her will not ever happen to another child.

“If you knew your child was at a place where there was a ticking time bomb, you would come and get them out,” she said. “The time is now to get them out of a dangerous situation.”

Although McKenzie is gone, Harris sees a reflection of her niece through her 2-year-old brother, James, whether it be in his eyes, his smile, or his love of others. During the funeral, James stood next to Adams as Richardson consoled her.

“She’s living through him right now,” she said. “He lights up a room whenever he comes in, just like she did.”

Parents who have a child dealing with bullying can consult the website www.stopbullying.gov, which has different resources to look through regarding bullying prevention and solutions. Those struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts are encouraged to call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or text “HOME” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.

Reach Drew Taylor at drew.taylor@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0204.