BROKEN ARROW, Okla. – A dad of a high school student, who died after jumping from an Oklahoma stadium, has spoken out about depression.
On Saturday afternoon, Michael West said his son, Jaymeson West, “climbed over a railing and jumped from the top of the stadium,” succumbing “to the depression he had battled for so long.”
The 16-year-old fell after a football game around 10 p.m. on Friday at the Broken Arrow High School stadium.
“He was not weak. He was not selfish. He showed more grit getting out of bed every morning than most of us have shown our whole lives,” the father said. “Depression is a deft and wicked enemy.”
He described Jaymeson as “beautiful inside and out” and as someone who will be missed with “every breath of my life.”
Michael said what’s next is awaiting the time the memory of his son outweighs his painful loss.
“We wait for all the beauty and laughter that Jaymeson brought into this world to overpower the ugliness of his last moments,” he said. “We wait for the moments we remember and the stories we will always tell to force the sadness back to a place where we can try to live. And, with Jaymeson, there was more than enough spirit and love to pull us through.”
The student was a junior who played saxophone in the school band.
Counselors and support staff will be available throughout the week at the school.