It was the middle of a Tuesday night when Rosalie Avila, a 13-year-old from Mesa View Middle School, committed suicide by hanging. She was found by her father and mother.
Even though they rushed to Loma Linda Children’s Hospital, Rosalie was already in critical condition and was placed on life support. Though details regarding the bullying are foggy, her parents noticed a change in Rosalie a few months ago.
They say their daughter was smiling on the outside although she struggled on the inside. She would write the names of people who wronged her in a notebook and the letter she left behind revealed she felt like an “ugly loser.”
Freddie Avila, her father, recalled how she mentioned getting teased for her braces and broke down in tears. “Now I gotta just think about what she could have done or what she could have become,” he said.
Eight days later, after getting placed on life support, her family made the difficult decision to take her off it. A night vigil was held at Mesa View Middle School, who decided to withhold the situation surrounding the case and only addressed feeling “great sadness…that one of our young Mesa View Mustang students has passed away.”
Avila dreamt of becoming a lawyer who would help make the world a better place. Those who held her dear described her as a loving and hardworking individual who did well in school.
Her family decided to donate her organs and started a GoFundMe page to cover the funeral costs. They spoke up against bullying, which shares a widespread relationship with the increased suicide rate among 10 to 14-year-olds.
The rate of young people ending their own lives has doubled from 2007 to 2014. Suicide has risen alarmingly amongst Latina teens.
Speaking to NBC4 News, Rosalie’s family 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.”
This article was inspired by LATINA // Eighth Grade Girl Commits Suicide After Years of Bullying