LEARN FROM MY SON'S SUICIDE, SAYS HOCKEY MOM

The mother of Jason Ricciuti, the 15-year-old Kelowna hockey player who
committed suicide after being caught with marijuana, has written a
heartfelt letter to the editor about her son's death.

"We don't blame anyone for this," writes Patti Ricciuti. "But that doesn't
mean we can't try to change things, maybe help to save one other kid some day."

The grief-stricken hockey mom says rules should be established so kids
caught smoking or drinking know exactly what punishment they might face.

"NHL players or pro athletes facing alcohol problems or possession charges
aren't ostracized from their sport," she reasons.

"Instead, the team stands by them and tries to help them out."

Jason shouldn't have been left alone in a Surrey hotel room after he was
caught, she says.

"He got into a dark place that made the problem bigger than him," she
writes. "I know if Jason had not been left alone, he would have seen things
in a different light. He would have handled the situation with his coaches
and us."

Ricciuti also defends herself against previous letter writers who
questioned her parenting skills.

"Jason loved us -- he knew we loved him. I know he was disappointed in
himself. That's the kind of kid he was.

"He worried and cared about what others thought of him," she writes.

"Something positive has to come out of this for us . . . and others who cared."