A grieving family is speaking out after losing their 12-year-old son, following a long period in which he was repeatedly hurt and pressured by a classmate.

Drayke Hardman, a student from Tooele County, Utah, passed away on February 10, 2022. His parents shared on social media that their son had been in a psychological battle for more than a year because of the mistreatment of a classmate.

According to Drayke’s parents, they had contacted the school multiple times. Just days before the tragedy, Drayke returned home with a bruise around his eye and told his sister that it happened after a fight.

That night, Drayke missed basketball practice. He then fell into critical condition after trying to harm himself. His family discovered him in time and took him to the hospital, but Drayke died the next morning.

The Hardmans urge other parents to be observant, listen and look out for signs that their children may be being harmed in their environment, to prevent further heartbreak.

Drayke’s parents wanted to share their son’s story to raise awareness of the harmful effects of cruelty, and they started the hashtag #doitfordrayke — a reminder to be kinder and support each other every day.

On social media, Drayke’s mother, Samie, wrote about the pain of losing her son, calling him her “good boy.”

She shared:
“This is the result of being mistreated for so long. My son has been fighting a pain that even I cannot touch. It’s silent, it’s deep, and there are no words to describe the helplessness of a mother who cannot help him escape that pain.”

“How can a 12-year-old boy, who has received so much love, feel that life is so heavy?”

She continued:
“My heart is broken. I don’t know if I can heal. But I will spend every minute teaching kindness, teaching love — to continue the mission that my son lived every day. Once you enter Drayke’s world, you are his family forever.”

Drayke’s father also shared his son’s love of basketball and thanked the Utah Jazz for making his final moments happy.

Many celebrities, including Donovan Mitchell, sent their prayers and condolences to the family.

A friend set up a GoFundMe to help cover the costs of Drayke’s memorial service. In just a short time, the page has received more than $80,000 from thousands of kind hearts.

One person wrote:
“My heart breaks when I hear this. Your son is a wonderful child. Please don’t blame yourself — it’s the fault of those who hurt him.”

Tooele police said they learned of the incident after it went viral and said they work closely with the school when children are being pressured or traumatized.