The Story of Kyle, the High School Student Who Was Saved From Suicide by a New Friend-Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:
The story of a high school student named Kyle, a kid who was befriended by another student who first viewed him as a nerd. They become good friends. At graduation, Kyle is valedictorian and reveals that on the day that his pal befriended him he was contemplating suicide. The moral of the story is to never underestimate the power of your actions because one small gesture can change a person’s life.
The Truth:
This is not a true story. It’s a piece of inspirational fiction by John W. Schlatter that was published in the best-selling book Chicken Soup For the Soul.
There are some differences between the Internet eRumor and the original published version, however.
The original was not written from the viewpoint of a first-person observer. It was about two boys named Mark and Bill. The original did not end with the emotional graduation speech but rather in a personal conversation.
Updated 3/8/08