“As much as I took care of Autumn for 10 years, she took care of me,” Autumn’s father Mark Bushman said.

While her death has ripped a hole in the hearts of both of her parents, it is her life they want you to remember.

“She was the youngest and probably the wildest,” Autumn’s mother Summer Bushman said. “She was a ball full of energy. It didn’t matter if you thought she was going to fall through my living room floor. She was at it with the cartwheels inside of my house at all times.”

“She was fearless,” Mark Bushman said.

Autumn’s life was full of color, acrobatics, and love. She would gather gifts and write notes to her father telling him how much she loved him.

One of those notes reads, “For Dad, the best one. Thank you so much for being so loving and always being there for me. So here is a gift for you. Love Autumn. Go look in the fridge. XOXO.”

Autumn was a fourth grader at Mountain View Elementary School in Roanoke County. Her parents say her empathy for others may have made her a target for bullies at school.

“She was one if somebody was getting bullied or picked on, she would stand up for them. And unfortunately that may have made her a target for more bullying,” Summer Bushman said.

“She loved so unconditionally. She really wore her heart on her sleeve and felt everything so deeply that I don’t think she could quite understand the hate that could be coming her way,” Mark Bushman said.

The Bushmans said they reported the bullying to Roanoke County Public Schools. A School District spokesperson tells WDBJ7 the district takes all reports of bullying seriously and is reviewing what happened.

“I had conversations with my 12-year-old and 17-year-old about suicide. Never in my life did I think I needed to have a conversation about suicide with my 10-year-old child,” Summer Bushman said.

Summer Bushman says her other too children are deep in this grief. One turning to art to find peace.

“I think that Autumn thought that she was alone in the last couple of weeks on this earth and we want her to look down and know she was not alone,” Summer Bushman said.

“Your identity kind of becomes your children over time, and that has been my biggest question lately. Who am I without my daughter? That is something I kind of have to navigate,” Mark Bushman said.

Now, the Bushmans hope other parents will take this tragedy and start a conversation about kindness in their own homes.

“Don’t let anyone being bullied, just be bullied. If you see something, say something to an adult,” Summer Bushman said.

The Bushmans are inviting everyone to the public visitation and funeral service for Autumn.

The visitation is happening Friday, March 28 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Lotz Funeral Home Roanoke at 1001 Franklin Rd SW.

The service will be Saturday, March 29 at 2 p.m. at Lotz Funeral Home Roanoke at 1001 Franklin Rd SW.

Copyright 2025 WDBJ. All rights reserved.