Drayke Hardman.Photo: GoFundMe
Celebrities and people around the country are sending a strong message against bullying after a 12-year-old boy from Utah died of suicide.
Drayke’s parents, Samie and Andrew Hardman, repeatedly checked on their son’s mental health and even asked him if he was having suicidal thoughts, the outlet reported. Drayke assured them that he wasn’t.
Though the school suspended the student who was bullying Drayke, the abuse continued, Samie and Andrew told the outlet.
“So for him to have to attack my son to build his confidence means he was lacking something,” he added. “So, in a sense, this bully was also a victim, and that’s where we need to find the solution is teaching our children that the world is broken, but they’re the generation that is going to fix it.”
According toStopBullying.gov, 20 percent of U.S. students aged 12 to 18 experienced bullying, with about 46 percent of them reporting the incidents to adults at their school.
“Drayke’s personality was all about people,” she said. “He loved to make people laugh. He loved to do what he could to always make sure that somebody had a friend.”
In the days since Drayke’s death, many have posted tributes to him on social media along with calls to stop bullying in schools and teach kindness — a movement called Do It For Drayke.
“My heart is broken for Drayke and his family, and every child who has been the victim to bullying,” modelKaia Gerberwrote in her Instagram story on Wednesday. “PLEASE take the time to read this, show this to your children, start the conversation.”
“Let’s teach our children kindness and compassion. Bullying HAS NEVER and WILL NEVER be ‘cool,'” she continued in her message.
Members of the Utah Jazz also reached out to express their support and invited Drayke’s family to present players Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert with their 2022 NBA All-Star commemorative rings this week, according to FOX stationKSTU.
Drayke was a big Jazz fan and especially loved their center, Gobert, the family said.
“With Rudy Gobert, Drayke just wanted to hug him. ‘I just want to hug his knees,'” Samie told KSTU. “That’s what he said. He said, ‘I just want to hug Gobert so I can hug his knees.'”
Anyone who would like to donate to the family’s GoFundMe can clickhere.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go tosuicidepreventionlifeline.org.
source: people.com
