BAILEY O'NEILL - 11 yo - Bullying victim - Darby Township, PA

Father: Bullying attack leaves Delco 11-year-old son in coma

DARBY TWP., Pa. - February 6, 2013 (WPVI) --

A Delaware County student is in a medically induced coma, weeks after a fight at school.

In an exclusive interview with Action News, the 11-year-old's father said it was all because of a bully.

From a schoolyard fight at Darby Township School to a medically induced coma, police are trying to figure out exactly what happened to 6th grader Bailey O'Neill.

"I want to hear his voice, his mother wants to hear his voice," Bailey's father Rob O'Neill said.

Rob says four weeks ago his 11-year-old son was being bullied by a couple of kids when one hit him in the face several times fracturing his nose.

He was also knocked down, causing a concussion.

Bailey's parents had him checked out at the hospital, but something still wasn't right.

"He was sleeping. He was moody. He wasn't himself. He was angry a little bit. He wasn't really eating," O'Neill said.

A few days later, Bailey took a turn for the worse and started having violent seizures.

Doctors at A.I. duPont Hospital for Children were forced to put Bailey into a medically induced coma almost two weeks ago.

"Every day I'm trying to stay strong for him, but when you get into that hospital room and you're looking at him, I would trade places in a heartbeat. It's my buddy, you know," O'Neill said.

Bailey is an honor student, an athlete, and a big brother.

Action News contacted Southeast Delco School District Superintendent Stephen Butz who told us the district asked Darby Township police to investigate.

The statement read:

"We have requested that the local police assist us in the investigation of this incident and are fully cooperating with their investigation of this incident. We are very concerned about the medical condition of this student. And our thoughts and prayers are with him. Due to the age of the students involved and the ongoing police investigation, I am unable to make any additional comments."

The district wouldn't comment about the other student, but Rob O'Neill says he was told the boy was suspended for two days.

Police haven't filed any charges in the ongoing investigation.

O'Neill says that's not enough and he has advice for other parents when it comes to bullying.

"Keep an eye out for it, it's something that's very serious. Sometimes kids are afraid to tell their parents that they're being bullied because of the embarrassment," O'Neill said.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=8983472

Bullied boy dies a day after turning 12

In a suburban Philadelphia school district, a bullied boy dies after
being taken off life support. The bullied boy had been in an induced
coma for more than a month.

• 
  
  

BA suburban Philadelphia school district is making extra counselors available to students a day
after a sixth-grader was taken off life support following injuries suffered in a fight.

Bullied boy dies: A suburban Philadelphia boy died March 3 from injuries sustained during a fight in January. Here, a student from Quashnet School in Mashpee, Mass. puts her hand on an anti-bullying poster during the school's "No Name Calling Week," 2010.

Family members say Bailey O'Neill died Sunday morning, a day after he turned 12. The sixth-grader suffered a concussion, broken nose, and other injuries in a fight at Darby Township School on Jan. 10. Doctors later put him in a medically induced coma after he began having seizures.

Southeast Delco School District Superintendent Stephen D. Butz says the school sends its condolences to the boy's friends and
family. He says additional counselors are being made available for students and staff.

Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan has been investigating what happened.

Messages left for Mr. Whelan and the boy's family weren't immediately returned.

http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Family/2013/0304/Bullied-boy-dies-a-day-after-turning-12

With heavy heart and great sadness I am moving this to the ""Resulting In Death" thread.

This breaks my heart.

Bailey told his mother, Jina Risoldi, that he was at recess when the boy, who was taller, challenged him to a fight.

Risoldi said last month that her son declined to fight, saying he was worried about being suspended. She said a boy then pushed him from behind and he was struck in the head about five times.

"This is not a fight between two boys," she said. "My son didn't fight back."

Risoldi said school security and a teacher rushed in to break it up.

Bailey spent the rest of the day at school, but over the following days he complained of severe headaches and dizziness, began sleeping a lot and became irritable and confused, his mother said.

"He had no problems before the fight," Risoldi said. "He was always extremely healthy, rarely got sick."

Bailey was an honor roll student who served on the student council. He also enjoyed baseball and swimming.

His mother said the other boy challenged him to a fight earlier that week, and she had questions about whether the school did enough to prevent the encounter. She said school officials were aware the boy had a history of bullying other children. The boy was suspended and subsequently returned to class, Risoldi said.

On Monday, District Attorney Jack Whelan told the Delaware County Daily Times that he was waiting for autopsy results and re-interviewing witnesses but considered charges to be likely.

Last month, police Deputy Chief Brian Patterson told the newspaper what happened between Bailey and the other boy was a "one-on-one altercation" and was captured on video surveillance.

Southeast Delco School District Superintendent Stephen D. Butz expressed condolences to Bailey's friends and family.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57572532-504083/bailey-oneill-12-year-old-pa-boy-dies-weeks-after-suffering-injuries-from-attack-in-school-report-says/

[i][color=red]Prayers for the family, this is so very sad. This should never, ever have happened.[color]