The family of a nine-year-old boy who took his own life following months of bullying and abuse have shared an important piece of advice with parents all over the world this week: teach your kids that it’s OK to speak up.
Jackson Grubbs, from West Virginia, passed away in his home last Saturday, and was found by his sister.
According to his family, Jackson had been a victim of bullying at school over the past number of months; and despite standing up to the bullies, grandmother and guardian Betsy Baber revealed that Jackson seemed ‘defeated’ in the weeks leading up to his death.
Speaking to local media, Ms Baber said: “I was spending time with him, trying to get it out of him. But Jack’s the type that holds things in, and I couldn’t get to him.”
“Some kids can talk, some kids can’t. Jack was the kind that didn’t like to talk. He didn’t want to look little. These kids need to know that there’s nothing wrong with being little, it’s being able to tell these kids that they’re being mean. And it needs to stop,” she added.
The family have since set up a GoFundMe page (link here) to raise money for Jackson's funeral.
We are thinking of the family at this devastating time.
