Remembering Seven Bridges, 10-Year-Old Who Committed Suicide After Being Bullied For Ostomy Bag

On the count of seven, the red balloons floated up into the gray sky.

"Release them up toward where Seven eternally is," Tami Charles told the crowd of more than 50 family, friends and community members gathered in Shively Park on a blustery Saturday afternoon.

Saturday marked one week since Charles found her 10-year-old son, Seven Bridges, dead in his bedroom. He died by suicide. 

The often private response to such a tragedy instead quickly turned into a story shared around the country as Charles announced her son's death to the public on Facebook that same day and called on Jefferson County Public Schools to do more to stop bullying.

But Saturday's balloon release and vigil was a chance to honor Seven, a boy who "walked with God," as a pastor in attendance said.

"We are not here to point a finger or lay blame or have guilt," Charles told the crowd shortly before the balloons were released into the sky. "What we are here to do today is to show what God looks like."

Seven was a sweet boy who loved to play, and Shively Park was the first park he played in, Charles said. Despite getting bullied at school, Seven refused to fight back and step down to the level of his bullies, she added.

"He refused to lose who he was to be like everybody else," Charles said, as dozens in the crowd wiped away tears. "He would rather stop this earthly life than to be at all like his enemies."

Charles and her husband, Donnie Bridges, have said the district and Seven's school, Kerrick Elementary, are partly to blame for the fifth-grader's death.

In the past week, tens of thousands of friends, family and community members have shared prayers and condolences using the hashtag #SevenStrong.

Charles said she's been juggling calls from parents who want to share their own stories of bullying or suicide. The GoFundMe page set up to cover funeral expenses and her lost wages has raised more than $97,000.

JCPS officials said Seven was the eighth student in the district to die by suicide so far this school year. Of those, he was the youngest.

Three JCPS students died by suicide last school year.

You can read the full and complete story by clicking here. 

My heart is so broken for this child and for his parents. I strongly feel bullying needs to be turned into a crime. A Felony if the child kill themselves and Misdemeanor for reported incidents and I guarantee we will see a change throughout the school system and bullying. I also hope legal action is being taken since this is not ok and doing nothing will be a bad idea. I remember when I was bullied as a child and I am now 28-years-old, so I can only imagine how worst the bullies are now. 

In the meantime people from around the world are using the hashtag #bagsoutforseven to share their stories and I was really moved by it and I hope more people share their stories.

You can read them by clicking here.

If you're being bullied trust me when I say the issue is with them, not you.  We are all beautiful and special in our own unique way and people who say otherwise are not happy with themselves. So what if you have big ears, a missing tooth, or chunky, we are all beautiful and you should let no one tell you otherwise. So please, if you're being bullied talk to someone. If you feel that person is not listening, talk to someone else. If you're having thoughts of suicide you can call this number now, it's available 24/7:  1-800-273-8255