My Brother

David Tela was my older brother. When I found out about his passing away, I was in Geogia and I was 13 years old. It has been very hard for me to live with the loss of my brother, especially since he took his own life-which did not have to happen. This could have been prevented if he chosen to talk to someone that cared about him. From what I know, he had talked to a couple people, one who was also suicidal and one who obviously did not care about him and did not take him seriously. My brother and I had been in contact by letters when he was in juvi and when I moved to Georgia. Now when I read his letters, I notice hints that he was trying to tell me something. I wish he had told me straight out what he was feeling and if I had known I wouldn't have moved away. In one letter (when he was in juvi and I believe when he started to feel suicidal) he says "my lifes fucced up and I don't care there's always wayz to escape the world you know what I'm sayin. Don't tell anyone about this stuff I'm sayin to you It's our secret." And in another letter from juvi. "I'm in the best shape I've been in my life but it's a shame to let it all go to waste if I'm not goin to have any kind of life to live(will see)".I wish I had paid a little more attention to his letters. I think it was the fact that my brother did not seem suicidal at all to me. He was a good person with alot going for him. I think he underestimated his potential and felt he did not know what to do with his life. The last grade David completed was the 8th and I never found out if he got his GED in juvi or not. When he got out of juvi he worked at Burger King I Think for under $8 an hour. His letters from juvi would explain a lot of pain he was going through. He had been in trouble with our mom, moved in with a friend then got in trouble. From what his letters say he had nowhere to go the father at his friends house wouldn't let him back in and neither would our mother or else he wouldn't have had to serve time. I beliveve the time he spent there made him realize that he was not doing much with his life. And I also think that not having his family around really hurt him because that's what people need most. After he got out of juvi he did end up staying with me, my mother and her husband. My brother and I had gotten in trouble and he got kicked out. We were told that we could never see each other, we could never write or talk over the phone. That's when I became really upset and moved to Georgia with my father. But had I known that moving away would be even harder on my brother, I would have never gone. This made my brother more suicidal because his dad and sister were in another state and his mother was very upset with him.


I would like people to know that there is always someone who cares and would do anything to help you. I hope the people who visit this website really realize what they can do if they take their life. My mother, my aunties, cousins, his friends and me have to suffer a tremendous loss for the rest of our lives. Everyone's reason is different and valuable but never worth taking your life when it isn't your turn.

David Tela & his Sister