Detroit Mother Wanetta Powell Blindsided by Daughter's Suicide
Updated: Friday, 18 Mar 2011, 7:57 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 18 Mar 2011, 5:49 PM EDT
By ROOP RAJ
WJBK | myFOXDetroit.com
DETROIT (WJBK) - "She was always playing, happy, joking. She was just always real playful," said Wanetta Powell, the mother of a suicide victim.
15 years old, bright, fun-loving, always with a smile -- one day she wanted to be a meteorologist. She won pageants and scholarships and was just starting her high school career at Cass Tech High School.
"She was at her father's house. He found her. She had hung herself," Powell said.
Her father and mother say they had no signs, just a suicide letter afterwards. It said she was struggling with keeping those stellar grades up and was too frustrated with school and with life.
Her mother had already planned to take her out of Cass Tech and place her at another school, but it was too late.
"There (were) no other signs. We knew her grades were slipping, and she told my daughter the weekend before she passed that Cass was too much pressure for her," said Powell.
Also attending Friday's funeral services was Adrienne's sister Ashley. She's 22 years old and told FOX 2's Roop Raj that suicidal thoughts among young people are a lot more common than you may think.
"I wish she knew how much we (were) going to hurt," she said.
So, on the day of her daughter's funeral, Powell wanted to meet with FOX 2 so she could tell you, especially the parents, to look out for this. Suicide, she says, is real.
"Watch your kids. Talk to your kids. Listen to them. Just because they're smiling all the time, it could be something really wrong with them, but they're hiding," she said.
For more information on teen suicide warning signs and prevention, visit www.teensuicide.us.
Also, a teen suicide prevention fundraiser with spaghetti dinner will happen on Saturday, March 19 from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Moose Lodge #1620, which is located at 22122 Sibley Road in Brownstown.
http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/roop_raj/detroit-mother-wanetta-powell-blindsided-by-daughter-suicide-20110318-wpms
Updated: Friday, 18 Mar 2011, 7:57 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 18 Mar 2011, 5:49 PM EDT
By ROOP RAJ
WJBK | myFOXDetroit.com
DETROIT (WJBK) - "She was always playing, happy, joking. She was just always real playful," said Wanetta Powell, the mother of a suicide victim.
15 years old, bright, fun-loving, always with a smile -- one day she wanted to be a meteorologist. She won pageants and scholarships and was just starting her high school career at Cass Tech High School.
"She was at her father's house. He found her. She had hung herself," Powell said.
Her father and mother say they had no signs, just a suicide letter afterwards. It said she was struggling with keeping those stellar grades up and was too frustrated with school and with life.
Her mother had already planned to take her out of Cass Tech and place her at another school, but it was too late.
"There (were) no other signs. We knew her grades were slipping, and she told my daughter the weekend before she passed that Cass was too much pressure for her," said Powell.
Also attending Friday's funeral services was Adrienne's sister Ashley. She's 22 years old and told FOX 2's Roop Raj that suicidal thoughts among young people are a lot more common than you may think.
"I wish she knew how much we (were) going to hurt," she said.
So, on the day of her daughter's funeral, Powell wanted to meet with FOX 2 so she could tell you, especially the parents, to look out for this. Suicide, she says, is real.
"Watch your kids. Talk to your kids. Listen to them. Just because they're smiling all the time, it could be something really wrong with them, but they're hiding," she said.
For more information on teen suicide warning signs and prevention, visit www.teensuicide.us.
Also, a teen suicide prevention fundraiser with spaghetti dinner will happen on Saturday, March 19 from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Moose Lodge #1620, which is located at 22122 Sibley Road in Brownstown.
http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/roop_raj/detroit-mother-wanetta-powell-blindsided-by-daughter-suicide-20110318-wpms
Detroit Mother Wanetta Powell Blindsided by Daughter's Suicide
Updated: Friday, 18 Mar 2011, 7:57 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 18 Mar 2011, 5:49 PM EDT
By ROOP RAJ
WJBK | myFOXDetroit.com
DETROIT (WJBK) - "She was always playing, happy, joking. She was just always real playful," said Wanetta Powell, the mother of a suicide victim.
15 years old, bright, fun-loving, always with a smile -- one day she wanted to be a meteorologist. She won pageants and scholarships and was just starting her high school career at Cass Tech High School.
"She was at her father's house. He found her. She had hung herself," Powell said.
Her father and mother say they had no signs, just a suicide letter afterwards. It said she was struggling with keeping those stellar grades up and was too frustrated with school and with life.
Her mother had already planned to take her out of Cass Tech and place her at another school, but it was too late.
"There (were) no other signs. We knew her grades were slipping, and she told my daughter the weekend before she passed that Cass was too much pressure for her," said Powell.
Also attending Friday's funeral services was Adrienne's sister Ashley. She's 22 years old and told FOX 2's Roop Raj that suicidal thoughts among young people are a lot more common than you may think.
"I wish she knew how much we (were) going to hurt," she said.
So, on the day of her daughter's funeral, Powell wanted to meet with FOX 2 so she could tell you, especially the parents, to look out for this. Suicide, she says, is real.
"Watch your kids. Talk to your kids. Listen to them. Just because they're smiling all the time, it could be something really wrong with them, but they're hiding," she said.
For more information on teen suicide warning signs and prevention, visit www.teensuicide.us.
Also, a teen suicide prevention fundraiser with spaghetti dinner will happen on Saturday, March 19 from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Moose Lodge #1620, which is located at 22122 Sibley Road in Brownstown.
http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/roop_raj/detroit-mother-wanetta-powell-blindsided-by-daughter-suicide-20110318-wpms
Updated: Friday, 18 Mar 2011, 7:57 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 18 Mar 2011, 5:49 PM EDT
By ROOP RAJ
WJBK | myFOXDetroit.com
DETROIT (WJBK) - "She was always playing, happy, joking. She was just always real playful," said Wanetta Powell, the mother of a suicide victim.
15 years old, bright, fun-loving, always with a smile -- one day she wanted to be a meteorologist. She won pageants and scholarships and was just starting her high school career at Cass Tech High School.
"She was at her father's house. He found her. She had hung herself," Powell said.
Her father and mother say they had no signs, just a suicide letter afterwards. It said she was struggling with keeping those stellar grades up and was too frustrated with school and with life.
Her mother had already planned to take her out of Cass Tech and place her at another school, but it was too late.
"There (were) no other signs. We knew her grades were slipping, and she told my daughter the weekend before she passed that Cass was too much pressure for her," said Powell.
Also attending Friday's funeral services was Adrienne's sister Ashley. She's 22 years old and told FOX 2's Roop Raj that suicidal thoughts among young people are a lot more common than you may think.
"I wish she knew how much we (were) going to hurt," she said.
So, on the day of her daughter's funeral, Powell wanted to meet with FOX 2 so she could tell you, especially the parents, to look out for this. Suicide, she says, is real.
"Watch your kids. Talk to your kids. Listen to them. Just because they're smiling all the time, it could be something really wrong with them, but they're hiding," she said.
For more information on teen suicide warning signs and prevention, visit www.teensuicide.us.
Also, a teen suicide prevention fundraiser with spaghetti dinner will happen on Saturday, March 19 from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Moose Lodge #1620, which is located at 22122 Sibley Road in Brownstown.
http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/roop_raj/detroit-mother-wanetta-powell-blindsided-by-daughter-suicide-20110318-wpms
