Warning: This article contains information about suicide which may be distressing for some readers.
“You know what would be better for Zack and I, if you went and killed yourself.”
Those were the words of a message sent to Bachelor star Alex Nation’s 13-year-old sister, Angie, on Tuesday night.
Angie has been bullied relentlessly for almost three years. She has high-functioning Aspergers, anxiety and depression, but despite the constant taunts, has been open and honest about her battle with her mental health.
But after receiving the message – on the same evening she returned home from a five-week stay with her grandparents, where she was able to log off social media and enjoy some much-needed respite – Angie locked herself in her room, threatening self harm.
Alex shared her little sister’s story on Instagram on Wednesday night, saying her sister’s struggle broke her “heart in pieces”.
“She pleaded with Lifeline to help make it stop, expressing that she simply didn’t want to be here anymore and she wanted to be with her dad (he passed away 4 years ago),” Alex wrote.
“‘I want to kill myself, I’m going to kill myself, please help’.
“Within minutes, an ambulance and police officers were at my mum’s house.”
LISTEN: After the death of Dolly Everett, Vikki Ryall from Headspace shares her advice on how parents can talk to their kids about mental health and suicide.
Alex shared that this isn’t the first time her sister – who she describes as “bright, funny, kind and caring”, who loves singing and has dreams of joining the army – has found herself in such a dark place.
“People need to know and understand that their words can be the catalyst for someone like my sister,” Alex wrote.
“It infuriates me and saddens me that with tragedies such as Dolly’s and having friends who have lost loved ones to suicide that this is still going on! It has to stop, it must!”
Fourteen-year-old Amy 'Dolly' Everett took her own life in the first few days of 2018 after being targeted by cyber bullies.
"If we can help other precious lives from being lost and the suffering of so many, then Doll's life will not be wasted," her heartbroken father, Tick, shared on Facebook in the days following her death.
"I know for some suicide is considered cowerdly [sic] but I guarantee those people wouldn't have half the strength that my precious little angel had."
Earlier this week, a Queensland mum shared her eight-year-old daughter had contemplated taking her own life after cruel bullies targeted her over her mother's breast cancer battle.
"She told my daughter that her mum wasn't a woman because she didn't have hair or breasts and that she would turn out the same as me," Richelle told 7 News of the cruel taunts bullies directed at her girl.
As the issue of youth suicide and mental illness gets more attention than ever, Alex Nation had just one simple message for her fans.
"Spread kindness and make a stand for zero bully tolerance," she wrote.
If you or someone you know needs help you can call Lifeline on 131 114 or Beyondblue 1300 224 636.
Top Comments
What on earth has the world become..
I really hope she gets the help that she needs to get through this.
On a side note, I really hope you got permission before publishing this article. As someone who suffers from social anxiety I would be mortified to have my personal problems published on such a public forum.
Not really sure publishing the kid's awful plight on social media is helpful. Not everything is best shared.