A Florida mother is blaming the the Netflix show, “Thirteen Reasons Why,” for her daughter’s suicide attempt on Mother’s Day, after the girl’s friends allegedly made a “suicide pact” and pushed her kill herself.
Okechobee News reports that the mom, identified as Katrina Sheffield, said she pieced together the information after reading messages sent between her 15-year-daughter and her daughter’s friends. Five teens who attended Okeechobee Freshman Campus and Okeechobee High School, apparently made a “suicide pact” should they not be able to run away and change their identities.
Reportedly, the goal of the teens, ranging in ages from 14 to 15, was to live in a way that “didn’t involve adults telling them what to do.”
On May 13, the 15-year-old girl reportedly snuck away while her family spent time together on Mother’s Day. She then sent Snapchat messages back and forth with two of the boys involved in the pact. Sheffield said the boys were calling her “weak” and “selfish” while pushing her to kill herself. In an attempt to prove herself, the teen girl sharpened a blade with a pencil sharpener and slashed her arms from her wrists to her elbows.
Sheffield said her daughter continued to send messages to the boys while her arms were bleeding, but complained that “it’s taking too long … it’s not like on 13 Reasons.”
Frightened, one of the boys reportedly called 911. After paramedics and officers arrived to the home, the girl was taken to the hospital. She survived her injuries and after a stint at mental health facility, returned home. The parents of the other children in the pact were notified and warned.
“Other than the type of blade used, my daughter did everything the girl in ‘13 Reasons’ did,” Sheffield said. “I’m angry that show is out there, and even more angry there is now a season 2. Why even put these shows out there and put it in her mind to try to kill herself the way it is done in this show?”
The mom posted a video on Facebook describing the ordeal. Numerous parents responded, indicating they lost their children to similar things. The mother now plans to start a support group and encourages parents to speak out about teen suicide.
“This is a crusade I didn’t ask for. But it is one I am taking on.”
SPEAK UP SAVE A LIFE!
Posted by Katrina Sheffield on Wednesday, May 16, 2018
[Feature Photo: Pixabay]
