I Am His Advocate

Posted: 3/22/2013

I have an 18 year old daughter and 10 year old twin boys.  We are a very close family and I am very involved in their school and life.  The older our children get the more independent they become and the less they want their parents around. 

Nonetheless, I probe and talk and spend what time I can with them.  Two weeks before Christmas one of my 10 year old twins came home from school, wrapped a cord around his neck and attempted to hang himself.  His sister found him and from there was a whirlwind of four weeks of intense inpatient and outpatient therapy for my son as well as the rest of us. 

He had been bullied for months on the bus and in school and decided the only way to stop the bullying was to end his life. This was the first indication for me that anything was wrong with him.  After therapy he was still depressed and apprehensive to return to school but had to due to state regulations and because of the insurance companies denying payment for further treatment. 

So my son returned to school where the bullying continued and again two weeks later cut his wrist this time.  As parents it is hard to believe that a 10 year old would have the mind capacity to make a plan and follow through with it.

There has to be more that can be done for our children.  I have decided to take a stand.  I write to anyone who will listen.  I have taken a picture of him and blew it up so everyone at the school district will never forget his name or face at the next school board meeting.  The school told me not to talk about it but by not talking about it I am only adding to the problem and not the solution.

Suicide is rare at 10 years old so everyone needs to know that education needs to start earlier than middle school or high school.  It needs to start now, in kindergarten where kids are the most impressionable.  The parents need to be held accountable as well as the schools.  More people need to be involved and aware.  Ignorance is no excuse. 

My son will not be a suicide statistic.  I will fight to keep his story alive, keep the schools educated, and keep parents aware that it does affect everyone. I'm his advocate, his voice, and hope that others will know they are not alone.

By: Kristin