The parents of a 9-year-old Alabama girl who hanged herself say a combination of bullying and her ADHD medications was to blame.

Madison “Maddie” Whittsett, a fourth-grader from Birmingham, was declared dead at a hospital on Monday morning — three days after her mom found her hanging in her bedroom closet, she told AL.com.

Maddie’s stepfather, Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service Lt. Jimmie Williams, said nothing seemed out of the ordinary before he made the horrific discovery and that the girl was excited about going out to a fast food restaurant with her mother.

“Maddie loved Chick-fil-A and she was running through the house,’’ Lt. Williams said.

“Her mom called me, and we talked for a second. Then one of [Maddie’s] friends called and they were talking.”

When her mom, Eugenia Williams, said it was time to go, she called out to her daughter but heard no response. She walked into her daughter’s room, where she noticed the closet door was open and suddenly saw her daughter hanging inside. Williams raced over and tried to save her as a friend called 911. Emergency workers rushed her to a local hospital, where she later died.

Her parents said they later learned that the girl had endured a long day of harassment from other children.

“We talked to one of her friends and Maddie had apparently had a bad day. The friend said Maddie was bullied and she looked sad while she was being bullied,’’ her stepfather said. “It must have really worn her out that day.”

A spokesperson from the Birmingham Police Department was not immediately available for comment.

Williams said he hopes other families can avoid such a tragedy and urged kids to tell adults when they see their peers being picked on.

“Like they always say, ‘If you see something, say something,’’’ he said.

Maddie, who suffered from ADHD, had trouble with bullies at school who called her names like “stupid” and “dumb” because she required one-on-one coaching with teachers, her parents said. Weeks prior to her death, Maddie started a new ADHD medication, which lists possible “suicidal thoughts” as a side effect.

“The bullying plus the medicine, I think, gave her the boost to do that,” her stepfather said.

Williams said parents should monitor their children more closely for warning signs.

“Maybe you can see if anything is going on. Look for changes in attitude. Changes in behavior,’’ he said. “Support them and be there for them.”

Birmingham City Schools said in a statement after Maddie’s death that the school community was “deeply saddened” over the death. Grief counselors have been made available to students suffering over the loss.

“The death of any young person is a tragic loss that impacts the whole school community, and we send our deepest condolences to the family,” the statement said.

Maddie’s parents did not wish to publicly name Maddie’s specific school and credited staff with being supportive throughout the process.