Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].
Until 2019, suicide has become the second leading cause of death among children aged 10-19 in the United States, and the COVID-19 pandemic is not helping, so today, more than ever, it is necessary to ensure the mental health of this group, who daily face the ravages of a changing world.
In response, and in order to make it easier for people to spot the warning signs of possible suicide, one Anaheim family shared their story, where they narrate the loss of their 14-year-old son.
Californians Adriana and Rodney Moore never imagined that their 14-year-old son would take his own life. The young man was healthy, very social, active, loved animals and loved to play his saxophone, according to the NBC Bay Area.
The COVID-19 pandemic changed everything, isolation and distance learning led Rodney Moore Jr. to lower his grades. Slowly, he lost hope by not being able to return to the classroom this month.
"No other father should have to go through this," said Adriana, mother of Rodney Moore Jr. "He should never have to say goodbye to his children. You should go before your children.
"Every time we close our eyes, we see how we found him," he said.
Adriana recalled that her son constantly said, "I don't see the point. Nothing is going to get better."
For Rodney Jr.'s father, the things his son said made him think things were going in another direction, yet, he said, they never imagined that up to that point.
"Although the coronavirus didn't take my son's life directly, it took it indirectly, that's how I feel," said Mr. Rodney Moore.
The chief psychologist at Children's Hospital of Orange County told the media that she currently receives twice as many phone calls from families concerned about their children's mental health who have presented the same kind of warning signs.
For her part, psychologist Heather Huszti, from the same institution, highlighted signs that parents should pay special attention to, such as increasing irritability, stopping participating in activities they used to like, having problems concentrating, and even changes in eating and sleeping patterns.
The conversation should start before the signs move forward, because "sometimes when you ask children about friends, about others, it's an easier way to get into the subject," Huszti said.
Finally, Rodney's parents said they hope that sharing their story will help prevent another young man's death, and called on other parents not to hesitate to bring their children to a mental health expert at the first sign of danger.
