Seven Bridges was a 10-year-old fifth grader. He was born with a birth defect where the opening of his anus was blocked, so he used a colostomy bag to relieve himself. Seven had 26 surgeries and still leaked fecal matter.
Tami Charles, mother of Seven, said he took his life because of the consistent bullying. It had been going on for about 7 months, horribly, but nothing like this year. In August, Seven was brutally attacked.
Tami, Seven's mother, said he was called racial slurs while riding the bus and choked until he nearly lost consciousness. He was taken to the hospital for a CT scan after that incident.
"He couldn't fight back. He didn't know how to hurt anyone; it simply wasn't in him. All Seven did was pray for the boy. Seven was described as a snitch because his mother was so aggressive in advocating for him.
The school system had inconsistencies about bullying.
Tami said Seven seemed to be so depressed in the weeks leading up to his suicide. On Jan 23, 2019, Tami gave Seven his chores that had to be done. She went to the store, and Mr. Bridges, Seven's father, went to choir rehearsal.
When Seven's mother returned, she found Seven hanging from his bedroom closet. She tried to revive him, but he was gone.
Seven attended Kerrick Elementary School in Louisville, Kentucky. Seven's death marked the eighth student suicide this year.
Dr. Allison Yoder, who practices and teaches pediatrics and psychiatry at the University of Louisville's School of Medicine, said suicides by preteens can be traced to bullying or ongoing physical health issues of the victim.
It's rare but becoming more common, Yoder told NBC News."
Respectfully,
Angelicamarie