PORTLAND, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Portland community remembers a young girl who died by suicide this weekend, and her family wants to spread awareness about the importance of talking to children about mental health.

Sophia Ballinger, 11, was hospitalized on Friday, Sept. 29 following a suicide attempt. On Saturday, Ballinger was determined to be brain dead, and she was taken off life support.

Ballinger’s uncle old News 2 she was a sweet, brainy kid who was kind to everyone she met. Her uncle described the past several days using a word he said he never likes to use: “hell.”

If you are contemplating self harm, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, 24 hours a day.

“The emotional part of it is taking a toll on everyone in the family,” Brandon Brewer, her uncle, told

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