Boy, 10, takes own life after being bullied over colostomy bag
WARNING – DISTRESSING CONTENT: A 10-year-old boy has taken his own life after being bullied over his colostomy bag.
Mother Tami Charles found her son, Seven Bridges, at her home in the US state of Kentucky over the weekend after she allegedly reported bullying to his school numerous times.
Ms Charles and her husband Donnie Bridges described their son as “an amazing, intelligent, compassionate little boy” to Louisville news station WDRB.
Seven was known to dress up as his favourite superheroes and was a “gift for 10 years”, his father said.
Ms Charles said Seven was tormented by bullies at Kerrick Elementary School in Louisville, Kentucky, where he was in year 5.
She told WDRB he was the victim of choking on the school bus and was called the “N-word”.
Ms Charles had been documenting the abuse on her Facebook page, as well as reporting it to the school for five months.
“He couldn’t fight back,” Ms Charles said of her son’s character.
“He didn’t have that in him.”
Ms Charles told the outlet her son was born with a medical defect and had undergone 26 surgeries. He still used a colostomy bag and students allegedly made fun of him for it.
Ms Charles told the outlet that she and her husband had signed Seven up for another school.
“We would talk to him about having new friends and a new start,” she said.
“He just had to get to the end of the year.”
Seven’s family is raising money to help pay for his funeral, as well as to help Ms Charles take time away from her small business to grieve for her child properly.
The funds will also go towards legal aid against the school district.
Ms Charles did not immediately respond to Yahoo Lifestyle’s requests for comment.
For support and information about suicide prevention, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.
