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Mum heartbroken after boy, 12, takes own life over 'silent' scourge

Ash Cant
·3-min read

WARNING — DISTRESSING CONTENT: A family is shattered after a 12-year-old boy took his own life following relentless bullying at school and a physical altercation with a classmate.

Drayke Hardman, 12, came home from school last Monday with a black eye and confided in his sister about how he got it, but did not tell his parents the truth.

His parents, Samie and Andrew Hardman, encouraged him to reach out if he needed help, but on Wednesday Drayke took his life in the family home.

Local news station KUTV reported the 12-year-old was found by his sisters in their Utah home and was rushed to the hospital.

He was declared dead on Thursday morning (local time).

Drayke Hardman, the 12-year-old boy from Utah who died last week after he was relentlessly bullied. Source: GoFundMe
Drayke Hardman, the 12-year-old boy from Utah who died last week, was relentlessly bullied. Source: GoFundMe

"This is the result of bullying, my handsome boy was fighting a battle that not even I could save him from," Ms Hardman wrote in an emotional Instagram post.

"It is real, it is silent and there is nothing, absolutely nothing, as a parent you can do to take this deep hurt away.

"There are no signs, only hurtful words of others that ultimately stole OUR Drayke from this cruel place."

Speaking to KUTV, Drayke's parents said he was continually bullied, and one student was even suspended by the school.

Mr and Ms Hardman spoke with their son about the bullying, and Ms Hardman had recently asked him if he had any suicidal thoughts.

He said no and Ms Hardman said Drayke looked as though he was "disgusted" by the question.

"How does a 12-year-old who was so knowingly fiercely loved by everyone think that life is so hard he needs to take himself from it.." Ms Hardman questioned on Instagram.

Ms Hardman said her family's life revolved around Drayke, who was so loved and had so much love to give.

The distraught mum has spoke out about the 'silent' scourge of school bullying. Source: Instagram
The distraught mum has spoke out about the 'silent' scourge of school bullying. Source: Instagram

"To know Drayke was to love him, he had a fire that lit for people, his witty personality and those baby blue eyes won over the world," she said.

"He is my boy, the one person that at any given point would just stop and give me a hug, tell me 100384849 times a day 'Mom, I just Love you'."

Ms Hardman said her heart was "shattered" following her son's death and she didn't know how to fix it.

However, she has pledged to spend the rest of her life teaching kindness in Drayke's memory.

"His purpose here was to teach kindness, to show love that and he absolutely did, he took anyone in as a friend so that they had one," she said.

"Once you were In Drayke’s tribe you were there forever."

After hearing about Drayke's love for basketball, Utah Jazz players reached out to the family and are supporting their '#DoItForDrayke' message of teaching kindness.

A GoFundMe has raised US$92,850 ($A130,305) for the Hardman family for Drayke's funeral expenses.

Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.

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