13-Year-Old Kills Herself After Years of Being Bullied

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Crisis Text Line offers 24-hour support to people in distress, or those around them

Editor's Note: Although earlier reports citing the school district and family members stated that the teen had passed away Friday, Rosalie Avila's family later clarified that she would be taken off life support Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, around 9:30 p.m. The family plans to donate Rosalie’s organs.

A 13-year-old California girl was taken off life support Friday after attempting to take her own life following years of bullying by her middle school peers.

Mesa View Middle School in Yucaipa, California, mourned the death of eighth grader Rosalie Avila with a candlelight vigil, where hundreds of Avila's peers, teachers and loved ones attended.

Avila was described as a loving and warm individual who was a great artist and always got good grades. Her family said she loved the snow as much as she loved the beach and enjoyed singing. Her dream was to become a lawyer so she could make the world a better place.

"My daughter had the whole world," her father, Freddie Avila said in tears. "Now, I just have to think about what she could have done or what she could have become. Now it's just a memory."

Rosalie's father recalled the heartbreaking moment he realized his daughter's devastating action Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017. 

"I woke up and there was screaming," he said. "I had to find my daughter...in her room."

Rosalie was taken to Loma Linda Children's Hospital in extremely critical condition. She was taken off life support on Friday, Dec. 1, 2017.

Mesa View Middle School expressed their sorrow through a memo on their website.

"No one can fathom the heartbreak and confusion that we are certain many of our students and families are feeling right now," the school said on the statement. "Crisis counselors and intervention teams will be available and supporting our students throughout the district in the upcoming days."

The school was aware of Rosalie's bullying and she had been in counseling, according to her aunt. She detailed in a journal how she was bullied and named those who were mean to her.

"It's not right to bully other kids," her aunt, Sandra Zebaneh said. "It's not right to call them names, not right to make fun of what they are wearing. It's horrible. Please stop the bullying."

If you would like to donate to a GoFundMe account set up to help funeral costs for Rosalie Avila, you may do so here.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 provides people in distress, or those around them, with 24-hour support. The Crisis Text Line allows people to text 741-741 to connect with crisis counselors.

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