“March 12, 2021, marked one month since Hunter took his own life.
As a mother of a child that this happened to, I don’t have any answers to help anyone else in the situation, but I want to make sure that this doesn’t happen to anyone else.
This is the worst nightmare any parent can go through.
We don’t have any answers to why Hunter felt he needed to end his life, but we can tell you that he is loved by us, his sisters, and so many.
Hunter didn’t show the typical signs of a person who battles depression and suicidal thoughts.
He didn’t withdraw from friends or family; he didn’t stop playing sports or stop eating.
He didn’t talk about wanting to hurt himself.
We have no answers to why this happened, but looking back over the last several months, there was a change in him that you could relate to just being a 14-year-old boy.
He would get angry more easily about homework, or at people making fun of his sister or not being respectful at church/school events to others.
He did get in some trouble, but again, he was 14, so we thought it was just him trying to figure out life as a teenager.
As we found out, after talking with several people, Hunter was their child’s hype person, and several of them would go to Hunter for their problems.
Hunter was the type of person to help everyone but could not help himself.
He always had a smile on his face, would laugh, and would have a good time with family and friends.
He played all the sports (football, wrestling, and baseball) and loved doing it.
He loved being with his teammates and friends.
Hunter had the best blue eyes that would make you feel special when you looked at him.
He loved talking to and getting attention from all the girls.
In this world, ‘suicide‘ is taboo, and no one wants to talk about it.
However, we HAVE to talk about it.
This is happening more and more, and it is not okay.
We must learn to be kind, listen to, and love each other.
You never know what someone is going through, and just a little word or question like ‘hi,’ ‘how you are doing,’ ‘I love you’ might change the way they are thinking.
This goes for us adults too; you can’t turn the TV on or get on social media without people talking bad about each other.
Our children are learning from us, and as parents/adults, we must do better.
Our door is ALWAYS open for anyone who needs to talk at any time night or day!
If you don’t want to talk to us or your parents, friends, or family, please reach out to the Suicide hotline at 800-273-8255.
Remember you are loved, you are enough, and you are special. Also, it is ‘Okay to not be okay’ and to ask for help!
This is our baby boy, our only boy, and we will keep his memory alive!!
Suicide needs to stop, and we have to do better by all people!!”
[If you’re thinking about hurting yourself, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit suicidepreventionhotline.org to live chat with someone. Help is out there. You are not alone.]
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Kristie Morton of Archie, Missouri. You can follow her journey on Facebook. Submit your own story here, and be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.
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