Bullied Teen Commits Suicide: A Cry for Help Goes Unheard

In September, Amanda Todd posted a video to YouTube entitled My Story: Struggling, bullying, suicide and self harm. Her last words in the very last frame of the video said “I have nobody… I need someone.” Five weeks later, Amanda was found dead in her home in Vancouver, Canada and the coroner’s investigation reports that the 15-year-old took her own life. There are no words to convey how sad and tragic this is. Ironically, October is Anti-Bullying Month and just yesterday was proclaimed “International Day of the Girl — a date on the annual calendar set aside to advocate for girls’ rights” and CNN ran an article “To my 15-year-old self’: Things I wish I’d known” with beautiful and inspirational messages from highly prominent women to their 15-year-old self, offering advice that they wished someone had said to them when they were only fifteen. Sadly, none of that advice was heard by Amanda. She died feeling alone and in desperate need of someone. Girls’ Rights, Anti-Bullying… how about just being kind to one another? We have a right to be here and we have a right to be treated with respect. In this world of fame and celebrity, everyone seems to be stiving to be “somebody.” What if we all just tried to be that someone that is there for another person in need. Slow down on your race to the top and look around and notice someone who needs a smile, a hug, some words of wisdom, some hope. Be that someone. If you’re struggling with life and feeling like you have no one, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255