11-Year-Old Bullied For Being A Brony Fights for Life After Suicide Attempt

An 11-year-old North Carolina boy is fighting for his life after attempting suicide when kids called him gay for being a Brony, a fan of My Little Pony. According to a recent article on Chicago Now, Michael Morones was following the example of his Uncle Jimmy, who taught him to be proud of his interests.

The boy, who has ADHD, reportedly picked the bouncy pony Pinkie Pie as his favorite, and often wore Brony dogtags and bracelets to school. When his schoolmates began bullying him, Michael was initially stoic about it, but on January 23, attempted suicide by hanging himself.

"A few weeks ago, Michael told us he wanted to take the bus straight home after school, instead of going to the boys and girls club with the other kids," stepfather Shannon Suttle told Chicago Now. "At the time, we thought it was because he wanted a chance to have the TV to himself for a couple hours before his brothers came home."

Suttle said that the family told Morones that "it didn't matter what other people think," and said that the boy seemed to be doing okay. The boy carried around a Bible, which he would read during lunchtime.

"But now," said Suttle, "I wonder about why he wanted to come home instead of being with the other kids. He said to us that the other kids were telling him he was gay for loving Pinkie Pie and they were trying to make him feel ashamed for being gay. We said that we didn't care if he was gay or straight; he was our son and we would love him."

Morones' suicide attempt has him fighting for his life in the pediatric intensive care unit in a North Carolina hospital. He has damage to his brain, his heart, and his lungs and has not yet fully awakened. A tracheotomy is scheduled for this week.

Andrea Libman, who does the voice of Pinky Pie, recorded a personal message for Morones, as did the other members of the cast. Suttle said that when they play the messages, Morones experiences increased activity on his EEG.

Friends have founded a Go Fund Me recovery fund, to help pay for the hospital bills and rehabilitation. The site has already more than doubled its goal of $20,000. By press time, donations had nearly reached the $45,000 mark.