Obituaries help spread the word after a recent death and typically account the person’s life while giving information about the upcoming funeral, but one 15-year-old girl’s obituary has gone viral for the heartbreaking message it relayed.
Sadie Riggs, of Bedford, Pennsylvania, took her own life on Monday, June 19th, 2017. Her devastated family took the opportunity to address those who they feel are responsible for her death in Sadie’s eulogy.
The obituary was originally posted on the Louis Geisel Funeral Home website, but her family’s words ended up reaching thousands on social media. However, the intended audience of this grievous eulogy is those who tormented Sadie at her high school.
Sadie Riggs was living with her aunt, Sarah Smith, and was a member of the Solid Rock Christian Fellowship Church. Her family mournfully expressed how she played softball and loved reading, drawing, and music in her eulogy, however, what followed strayed from tradition.
“In an effort to debunk the rumors about Sadie’s death we would like to share this information,” the obituary reads. “Yes, Sadie took her own life, she hung herself. It is hard to fathom that someone so young could be so troubled.”
“Sadie was seeking help, she was in counseling and taking medication, but it was all too much for such a young soul to live with. If you take a minute and look at Sadie’s family dynamics you will see that a large percent of the people in her life were not related to her by blood but she was sent to us by God who knew this child needed a family.”
“Sadie had a tough life and until a recent incident at school, she handled everything life served her. For a young lady so excited about going to the High School things sure went terribly wrong for her.”
“For the bullies involved, please know you were effective in making her feel worthless. That is all between you and God now, but please know that it is not too late to change your ways,” Sadie’s family expressed.
“Sadie’s death has taken us to dark places, we will stick together and protect one another as we try to make sense of this tragic loss.”
“To all the bullies out there, I just want you to know that as much as we despise your actions never, ever do we wish for you to feel the paralyzing pain that engulfs our bodies, a pain so severe that it makes the simple act of breathing difficult or the guilt that leaves us wondering what we could have done differently-or that struggle to remember the last words we spoke.”
“Our hearts are beyond broken. Sadie, it was a privilege to have you in our lives and we will always love you. May you find peace in the arms of God and may we all be kind to one another.”
Before giving the information for Sadie’s funeral arrangements, Riggs’ family expressed one last wish, writing, “In lieu of flowers, the family of Sadie ask that you be kind to one another.”
In a matter of days, Sadie’s eulogy went viral on social media, amassing thousands of reactions and shares from people all over the world.
Many parents who have lost their own children to the impact of bullying have shared their condolences in the comments, showing how this tragic occurrence is all too frequent.
If you or someone you know is showing signs of suicidal thoughts, consider contacting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 for emotional support.
If you found this story interesting, make sure to SHARE this post with all of your friends on Facebook.