News 12 Digital is highlighting the most-viewed stories of 2018 as part of our 'News 12's Most-Viewed' series. This story on bullying and the sad loss of a teenager was originally posted on Feb. 1. Original story below.
The father of a Tuckahoe teen who committed suicide last month says she was a victim of relentless bullying for years at Tuckahoe High School.
David Carraturo thought his daughter, Julianna, had fought off the bullies, but she took her own life last month while she was a freshman in college.
"All these hopes and dreams I had," says Carraturo. "Walking her down the aisle, seeing her graduate college, seeing her have a career, are gone."
Carraturo is still coming to terms with the fact that his middle daughter is gone. His other daughters gave him a necklace with the word "smile" on it, in memory of Julianna.
"Her smile was infectious," David Carraturo says of Julianna. "Her way of life was just her own. She made people laugh. She made people feel important."
Carraturo says his life comes with many lows now, but his hope is to maybe save another child's life. He is calling on the parents of the bullies to listen, change the culture and teach their kids to be kind.
"Words hurt," says Carraturo. "Words hurt even more than being punched. And cyber words hurt a lot more because they're being typed."
Carraturo says words hurt Julianna so badly, she didn't want to live anymore. But her father has words he wishes she could still hear.
"I love her," he says. "How was your day? I can never get the chance to say that to her again."
Carraturo said he reached out to the Tuckahoe School District during the time Julianna was being bullied and they told him they would follow protocol.
News 12 reached out to the district but calls were not returned.