Indian Mills Memorial middle schoolers and Shamong parents recently heard a moving presentation given by John Halligan in honor of his son Ryan, who died by suicide in 2003. “Ryan’s Story” also evoked a message: “Reaching Hearts, Changing Minds, Reducing Bullying and Preventing Suicide.”
Halligan is a speaker and author of books released in 2019 called “Ryan’s Story: Loved Beyond Belief,” for middle- and high-school students, and “Ryan’s Story: A Father’s Hard-Earned Lessons About Cyberbullying and Suicide,” meant for adults. Both books touch on safe usage of technology and suicide prevention.
At the time of his death, Ryan was a middle-schooler in Vermont. It was later revealed that he was “ridiculed and humiliated by peers at school and online,” according to the website ryanpatrickhalligan.org.
In memory of his son, Halligan supported approval of the Vermont Bully Prevention Bill, which was signed into law in May 2004, only a few months after Ryan’s death. John later advocated for mandatory sudice prevention education in public schools.
His presentation reflected on how to reduce cyberbullying and how bystanders can make a difference, according to School Superintendent Tim Carroll. Halligan spoke to parents about suicide prevention, its connection to social media and how that technology is intertwined with cyberbullying.
“He really drives that home with the parents, about what the parents can do and recommendations for parents to not only protect their own children, but protect kids who are getting bullied by a really heightened awareness of what their kids are doing online,” Carroll noted
Carroll addressed his appreciation for the presentation.
“I really appreciated from the school point of view that he had the same messages for students and parents, but that the parent presentation was his story, what he learned from going through that (his son’s suicide), and then what he tries to get other parents to do to protect their own kids,” said the superintendent, who noted how Halligan’s story touched everyone.
“I think this was the best one we’ve ever had,” Carroll said. “I think that it was a father talking about his son and using those experiences to help others. It was just amazingly powerful for the kids and for the teachers and for the parents.”
The Indian Mills HSA (Home and School Association) purchased more than 50 copies of “Ryan’s Story: Loved Beyond Belief” and “Ryan’s Story: A Father’s Hard-Earned Lessons About Cyberbullying and Suicide” for the school library.
