“Not one person outside his home tried to help him,” wrote Shaena Stebbins, the aunt of the late Josiah Michael Dwinell
Credit: gofundme
NEED TO KNOW
- New Hampshire teen Josiah Michael Dwinell died by suicide on March 12, eight days after his 13th birthday, his family said
- “He was being bullied at school,” said the boy’s aunt, Shaena Stebbins, adding that his mom passed away five years ago
- A GoFundMe, set up to cover funeral costs and to support the boy’s family as they heal, has raised more than $23,000
A New Hampshire teen died by suicide just days after his birthday.
The family of 13-year-old Josiah Michael Dwinell told WMUR that the boy died by suicide in Alstead, N.H., on Thursday, March 12, eight days after his birthday. His family called the teen’s death “truly heartbreaking.”
Shaena Stebbins, who said she was Dwinell’s aunt and launched a GoFundMe to raise funds for his funeral, shared more details about his death. In response to a Facebook post speculating about Dwinell's death, Stebbins wrote that the boy faced ongoing bullying at school.
Credit: gofundme
Stebbins wrote that the boy’s biological mother passed away over five years ago and he was adopted by his “Mimi,” who “was fighting alongside him for being bullied.”
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“He was being bullied at school and on the bus not one person outside his home tried to help him,” Stebbins wrote. “He went to the hospital on numerous occasions where his Mimi sat by his side holding him trying to get him the help he was seeking and his mental health was overlooked, and everyone outside his home said he was seeking attention.”
She continued, “My nephew decided after a bus ride home that he couldn't handle the bullying anymore.”
On GoFundMe, Stebbins wrote that Dwinell “was an amazing brother, son, nephew, and all-around young man who meant so much to everyone who knew him.”
“Josiah brought light and joy to our lives, and his absence leaves a hole in our hearts that can never be filled,” she added. “We are heartbroken and still trying to process this tragedy, but we want to honor his memory and give him the farewell he deserves.”
National Alliance on Mental Illness-New Hampshire Executive director Susan Stearns shared some advice with WMUR on how families can help support their loved ones if they are going through mental health struggles.
"You want to be having conversations, but you don't want to assume that a middle schooler, for example, has more knowledge than they do,” she said. “So you want to be finding out what it is they know, what it is they're thinking about, and being a calm presence acknowledging grief.”
Stearns also said that it is important if parents or guardians are direct with their children.
"If you are concerned that someone might be considering suicide, then you want to ask that directly," she said. "It's a myth that you're going to put an idea into someone's head, and the reality is that is the best way to engage someone in that conversation."
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7.
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