Mom Says Son Who Died of Suicide Suffered from 'Guilt' Over Dad's COVID Death

A 17-year-old teenager from California who suffered from depression took his own life after blaming himself for his father's COVID-19 death, his mother said.

"At the end of August, my family and I contracted COVID and within a matter of days, I lost my husband," Stephanie Reyes recalled to Fox station KTTV of her 46-year-old husband, Anthony Reyes, Sr.

Stephanie told the news station that their son, Anthony Jr., believed he was to blame for his father's death because he invited them to an event at school just before they became infected.

"He felt guilty. He felt like he was the one who got us sick," Reyes said of Anthony Jr. "He felt like he was the reason why his dad was gone and we talked to him all the time, and told him, 'It wasn't your fault.'"

But before his father's death in September, Anthony Jr. had already experienced his own emotional battles, spurred on by the nationwide lockdowns that led to the closures of many businesses and schools. He reflected on those feelings in an essay after the start of the pandemic.

"The whole coronavirus affected me in many ways, and the way the pandemic affected me the most was through my mental state," he wrote in an essay for one of his classes in August 2020, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"With everything being closed, it was becoming increasingly harder to stay home with my depression," he said.

Though Reyes recognized her son's feelings and tried to get him into counseling, she couldn't find an open appointment in time.

Three days after Christmas, Reyes woke up at 4 a.m. and saw her son's bedroom light was on. She soon discovered that Anthony Jr. had taken his own life.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

"I knock on the door to his room," she recalled to KTTV, "and I'm like, 'Hey, kid, it's 4 in the morning, what are you doing?'"

"He was gone. I couldn't believe my baby's gone," she continued.

A GoFundMe campaign has been started to help Reyes pay for Anthony Jr.'s funeral, and it has raised nearly $14,000 as of Wednesday evening.

"He was the happiest kid ever and had the most contagious smile and laugh that would brighten anyone's day," the donation page's organizers, who did not immediately return PEOPLE's request for comment, wrote in a description. "We are absolutely devastated by the sudden loss of Papi [Anthony Jr.'s nickname]. He was a Son, a brother, a grandson, a cousin, and most of all a friend, and to all of us, he was family."

RELATED VIDEO: Dad Helps Women with Postpartum Depression After His Wife's Death by Suicide: 'It's My Therapy'

Reyes said she hopes that by sharing Anthony Jr.'s story, other parents will learn about the dangers of depression.

"I know a lot of kids are hurting," she told KTTV, "and I want parents to look for the signs and to get help right away, especially for the kids who lost a significant person in their life."

As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from the CDC, WHO and local public health departments. PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMe to raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, click here.