x
Breaking News
More () »

Celebrating Seven Bridges: Parents use tragedy to have hard conversations

The somber moment turned into a celebration of Seven Bridges' life and a chance to teach the other children about bullying.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- The evening began with seven minutes of silence for the boy named Seven, but the silence soon turned to music and dance Sunday at the Miller's Lane Warehouse.

"We have this dance party so we can dance with Seven," Seven's mother, Tami Charles, said. "Seven loved to dance. He had every single one. His daddy is a musician so he always heard music in his head."

Seven Bridges, a 10-year-old boy who went to school at Kerrick Elementary, took his own life last week. His parents said the young boy bullied at school and have called on JCPS to do more to stop bullying.

"He's 10. He's 10. No 10-year-old should even know to take their life, and then on top to take their life, to know that he was bullied," Bella Rae, the host of Sunday's dance party, said. "What if that was my baby? I have a 10-year-old as well, so, therefore, it was kind of a 'OMG, I can't believe this happened to her.'"

But Rae said Seven's story and the events held in his honor, Seven Days for Seven, are helping her and other parents have those tough conversations with their children.

"I sat my boys down and it was just the question of, 'I want you guys to tell me what you think a bully is. Tell me what you think a bully is and let's talk about it," she said. "That sounds crazy, but I don't think I would even have the conversation of hurting themselves. We would have the conversation of bullying. We would have touched on it with bullying, but to go in depth about it as much as we did, I don't think that I would have."

RELATED: JCPS Superintendent announces suicide prevention plan

RELATED: Retired judge talks rise in bullying after 10-year-old kills self

RELATED: Seven days for Seven | Community celebrates the life of Seven Bridges

RELATED: 10-year-old takes own life, parents blame bullying

RELATED: The heartbreak of suffering in silence

Before You Leave, Check This Out