Why was the song how to save a life written?

The song How to Save a Life was influenced by Isaac Slade's expereinece working as a mentor at a camp for troubled teens. "One of the kids I was paired with was a musician," Isaac says. "Here I was, a protected suburbanite, and he was just 17 and had all these problems. And, no one could write a manual on how to save him. ... I got a lot of e-mails about it. One kid died in a car accident, and I guess it had been the last song he downloaded from his computer. They played it at his funeral, and some of his friends got 'save a life' tattooed on their arms. The response has been overwhelming."