It looks like Facebook has once again come to the rescue. After a 13-year-old Maryland boy posted his plans to commit suicide online, his desperate mother took to the social media site to ask others to send her son some words of encouragement–and that's exactly what they did.
Thousands of people from around the world share__d Noah Brocklebank's__ story and sent him inspirational letters in a heartwarming act that ended up saving his life.
After years of being bullied by classmates, Brocklebank–who says he was constantly called "fat," "ugly," and "a loser"–began spiraling into depression. On January 26, the teenager took to his Instagram account to post a disturbing photo of his arm, which was covered in self-inflicted cuts. Underneath the photo, the caption read, "Day of scheduled suicide: February 8, 2013 my birthday."
His frantic mother saw the message and took her son to the hospital, where he stayed for eight days of treatment. Anxious to find a way to help the teen cope, she decided to take a chance and share his story with the world. She took to Facebook to ask friends to write messages to her son, hoping to get a couple of responses.
Flash forward to a couple of weeks later and Brocklebank has received thousands of letters from people on every continent. And though the teen is still struggling to keep his depression in check, he now has encouraging words to turn to every time he needs some cheering up. "I was focused on the bad side of the people, like the bullies. Then I realized there are caring people out there that can be my friends," he told CBS.
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Isn't that amazing?! What a truly heartwarming story. The fact that so many people not only shared Brocklebank's story, but then took time out of their day to write him a message is so touching and truly restores my faith in the world. It just goes to show that some people really do care and are willing to lend, even to complete strangers.
I hope Brocklebank keeps his renewed sense of hope and that he continues to focus his energy on the good things he does have in his life–particularly his dedicated mother who will clearly do whatever it takes to keep him happy.
Image via CBS
