The father of the Academic Magnet High School student who set himself on fire near the school’s front entrance this week said his son “was struck with a despair so dark that he could not see beyond it, in spite of the love, support and counseling he received.”
Trace Williams appeared briefly before news media Friday to explain his son Aaron’s death. Reading from a prepared statement, and citing a letter written by the 16-year-old before his death, Williams said the self- immolation was an attempt “to reach out to as many hearts as possible and to emphasize the importance of living lives of love and compassion.”
He said his son’s lifelong ambition was to be a doctor and help others….
My heart goes out to this family. You could do me a favor if you prayed for them and for the funeral service at Grace Episcopal Church this Thursday, that they could be ministered to and comforted in their grief.
Huge prayers, also for the family of the young man from Fort Dorchester High School.
For the other incident mentioned in #2, you may find more information here–
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/dec/10/authorities-fort-dorchester-high-school-student-hu/
Kendall, I will certainly be praying for Aaron and his family.
As will I.
It’s so tragic to know of a young person who feels there is no recourse other than death. As a teacher, I was able to directly intervene twice before it was too late; many other young people are on slow, self-destructive paths that have the same causes — intense sadness and hopelessness.
Prayers ascending for these families.
Psychologists please weigh in if possible; my work there is only “basic”–we need to figure a way to get so many to stop thinking in such extremes. Emotional pain is surely hard, but emotional pain need not mean “death”. A wise man once said to me, “People need to realize that suicide is a permanent solution to what are truly temporary problems”. And/or, they are treatable problems, too.
God save us all…