In 2017, Max Gruver began as a freshman at Louisiana State University. He, along with his parents, was full of hope and excitement. From Georgia, his parents heard about his first weeks away at school which included pledging at various fraternities. They never anticipated that on September 17th they would receive a call that would change their lives forever. Max had died at LSU from a hazing event held at Phi Delta Theta house. Since 1959, there has been at least one hazing-related death in Canada, the United States and Mexico. In the year that Max passed away, there were seven hazing-related deaths. In her grief, Rae Ann Gruver new that something needed to change so that no one else would die they way that her son Max did. Her family created The Max Gruver Foundation to abolish hazing on campuses, to educate young people on the risks associated with it and to change laws state by state. Her efforts along with the volunteers who support this initiative are making a big difference. I spoke with Rae Ann about: - the day that they moved Max to LSU - what happened in those first few weeks - how is hazing defined - the days following Max's death - the purpose that she found to honour his memory and becoming a changer - where her resilience comes from
Rae Ann Gruver is a mom, wife, former NICU nurse and the founder of The Max Gruver Foundation.
Learn more about their work in creating awareness, education, policy and laws to prevent hazing across the United States. Attention to drugs, alcohol, and bullying are part of the education and awareness measures, as they are often used in hazing events.
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RESILIENT PEOPLE is a podcast created by Janet Fanaki. Each episodes introduces listeners to regular people from around the world who are inspired for their resilience. They have experienced a major life challenge, found a purpose from it and now help others to be resilient too.
Learn more at www.resilientpeople.ca
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