It is against all the rules of nature. It isn't fair. It should not happen. Unfortunately, it does happen and when it does, it can be scary. Peer relationships often seem more important to teens than family relationships. So the death of a friend may significantly affect young people in ways that parents, teachers and other adults may not understand. The death of a friend whom the parent never or seldom met may have very little effect on the parent, but it may have a huge impact on the teen. When adults dismiss the impact of their teenager's grief it only makes it more complicated and often leaves teens alone in his or her griefs. Two families talked with FOX 13 about how their lives were impacted from teen suicide.
The Kirk family's son, Tanner, survived an attempted suicide -- but not without lifelong injuries. Tanner suffers from a condition called dystonia. Tanner was 13 when he tried to hang himself. His family says he was an active kid who liked to play sports and did well in school. Tanner says he does not remember why he wanted to die, while his mother says she does not understand what went