Listen to “Diana Cochran for Francesco’s Foundation” on Spreaker.
This foundation is being set up in FRANCESCO’S name to help prevent other teenagers from being tormented, cyber bullied, gossiped about, and/or discriminated against. We hope to transform our grief into action!
The foundation’s purpose will be to provide a bridge for parents and educators to know what children are experiencing on-line in order to prevent cyber bullying and harassment leading to the deterioration of mental health, self harm or in extreme cases, suicide. Francesco died on October 21, 2021. He was 17 years old and had been the victim of malicious rumors and cyber bullying . Prior to his quick spiral downwards he had been a happy, star student with everything to look forward to in the world. He was a victim of spiteful lies due to his sexual orientation. Francesco was experimenting and had not identified as gay, bisexual or straight but because of his openness at his school in Long Island he was the subject of vicious lies and ridicule. One night he was unable to take any more and he had a very uncharacteristic night of recklessness and although he had not set out to-Francesco did end his life on a moonlit beach in Southampton. http://www.francescosfoundation.org/
