Author and television personality Art Linkletter addressed the issue after his 19-year-old daughter took her life:

"The word suicide is without a doubt one of the most dreadful words in the English language. People wince at the sound of it and avoid using it to describe the tragic death it implies. . . .

"And yet it must be faced squarely and discussed openly because it has become one of the leading causes of death among both the young and the very old in this country," Linkletter said.

So, with all the talk about underage drinking, of illegal drug use, dangerous behavior and car accidents involving teens, parents must be aware of a startling fact, said Michelle Moskos, one of the state's premier experts on this grim subject.

"What parents don't know is that their child is more likely to die by suicide than by all of those other factors," Moskos said. "Parents don't know that."

Larry and Barbra Eggett talked to their youngest son, and all agreed he should see the family doctor. However, the antidepressants the doctor prescribed made Blake more lethargic than he was before, and he stopped taking the medication a few months later. As his parents recall, Blake's moods seemed to get better after that. He had more energy. His ups and downs seemed like normal teenage stuff, though school remained a struggle.

If it weren't for band, where he excelled at the flute, he wouldn't have gone to school at all, according to his mom, Barbra.

But Blake pulled his grades up during the first quarter of his senior year at Riverton High School.

"It seemed to me like things were going pretty well for him," said drum major Jason Weimer, a longtime friend.

His parents often asked him how he was doing. "I'm fine," Blake would say, and Larry and Barbra Eggett wanted to believe him.

Their son ordered a new flute on eBay a week or so before he died. He was planning to go with the band to a competition in California the following week.

In other conversations, Blake talked about a future beyond high school, including a senior trip to Japan and plans for college. "It seemed like he had a purpose and an idea of what he wanted to do," Weimer said.

On Oct. 27, 2005, Blake performed during the band's fall concert. "He was just as happy as could be that night," Larry Eggett said.