Finding Strength in Broken Places

DMAX Foundation will host Finding Strength in Broken Places on April 24, 2019, with keynote speaker Dr. Lise DeGuire.  Dr. DeGuire, survivor of 4 family suicides, burn survivor, psychologist, and author of upcoming book The Flashback Girl, will discuss resilience and hope. Phillie Phanatic for 30 years, Tom Burgoyne will talk about how love can make a difference in people’s lives. The event will be moderated by Darcy Gruttadaro, Director of the Center for Workplace Mental Health at the American Psychiatric Association. The VIP Reception, including Phanatic meet and greet, begins at 5:45 PM. Doors open at 6:30 PM for the 7:00 PM program.

Having faced the deaths by suicide of four of her family members, and her own traumatic journey as a burn survivor, Dr. Lise DeGuire is no stranger to devastating loss, depression and serious suicidal thoughts. Yet Lise survived and has, in fact, thrived. Come listen as she shares her amazing journey and the resilience that led to her current life as a psychologist, wife, and mother in her“fairy tale marriage.” We can all learn from her story.

DMAX Foundation, a Philadelphia area nonprofit organization, was founded in 2013 by Lee and Laurie Maxwell of Bryn Mawr, PA in memory of their son Dan Maxwell, who took his life at age 18.  DMAX Foundation is addressing a significant unmet need on college campuses where students suffering from mental or emotional challenges can’t or don’t seek the help they need it because of stigma, overcrowding, and under-resourced counseling services. This can and too often does lead to tragic results. The foundation has developed an innovative solution with a rigorous, replicable model for student-led, mental health-focused social clubs, called DMAX Clubs, that encourage college students to talk about how they are doing, how their friends are doing and how they can help each other.