The 13-year-old boy who died after years of bullying has been named and pictured by his heartbroken family.
Austin Pendergrass died by taking his own life last Tuesday on his first day back to his North Carolina school.
According to the reports, the young boy was discovered lifeless in the bathroom at Wendell Middle School where he just started eighth grade.
After the teen was found by two other students, the rest of the school day was cut short and students were sent home on a “medical crisis” basis.
Following the boy’s premature death, his mother, Jessica Pendergrass, told WNCN that her son had taken his life after being bullied for several years.
“The signs were there, but the bullying it was so bad,” she expressed.
Jalia Harris, a family friend, added at a vigil: “It was so bad last year with kids just taunting him, hurting him.”
Pendergrass also explained that her son had a good and fun summer before returning to school on Tuesday only to immediately become the target of “relentless” bullies.
“Just teach your kids to be kind, because kids can be so cruel,” she pleaded with other parents.
Meanwhile, Harris suggested that little Austin’s death “should be an eye-opener for everyone.”
The heartbreaking comments come as Austin’s friends and family gathered at an emotional vigil to pay their respects to the kind and bubbly child and give him the sendoff he deserves.
“Austin, he was so, so smart, he was so sweet. He’d always come to the car when I pulled up [saying] ‘Mom you need help bringing anything in?’” mom Jessica recalled.
“He loved sea turtles. He used to say ‘Don’t use straws because they’re bad for the turtles.’”
As the grieving mother added, she hopes that something good will come out of her son’s passing and that Austin’s death will “bring some awareness to other parents to check on their kids, be mean, go through their social media, go through their phones [and] find out what’s going on.”
She also addressed other parents saying they should “teach their kids to be kind to other kids, even if they’re different, and just hug your kids a little tighter.”
Our thoughts are with Austin’s family and friends during this tragic time.
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