Friends and family of a Stratford teen who took her own life spoke publicly about her death for the first time Thursday.

The family says 16-year-old Bella Figueroa committed suicide on Monday.

The family says Figueroa was an honor student at Stratford High School. She was involved in basketball and the drama club. They also say she was an aspiring writer.

Figueroa had a public page on Tumblr, where she posted her poetry and talked about suicide.

Her mother, Barbara Colon, says her greatest legacy is her caring heart.

Colon is asking those affected by the death of her daughter to wear blue shirts this week in her memory. She is also urging friends and family to post pictures and leave messages on Instagram with the hashtag #Bellasworld.

The teen's funeral is set for Tuesday at Luz de Paz Funeral Home in Bridgeport.