Parents Meet to Prevent Teen Suicide

The death of 13-year-old Seth Walsh has prompted the parents of some of his friends to come together and discuss what needs to be done to make sure bullying and antigay taunts don't lead another teen to take his life.

According to Bakersfield's ABC affiliate, parents in Tehachapi, Calif., Came together Wednesday night to brainstorm ways to fight back against bullies and urge the school district to take a more active role in preventing harassment. Parents say Walsh was openly gay, and that contributed to years of bullying, which ended in his taking his own life.

Walsh died Tuesday afternoon after spending nine days on life support after he hanged himself from a tree in his back yard.

"All I know is that the tragedy happened," said Jamie Phillips, the father of one of Walsh's friends. "I don't know who did it, and I hope who did it understands what they did."

Parents discussed the idea of creating an online forum to combat bullying and possibly setting up a confidential hotline for students to report bullying anonymously. One mother volunteered to serve as a school mediator so students would have someone young to confide in.

"He was a very unique and wonderful child and he left us too soon," his grandmother, Judy Walsh, said at the meeting. "But we are blessed because he was an organ donor and we found out he gave a heart. So he lives on, just not with us, and that's where we wish he were."

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